Something Good Always Works
by Poprant
Summary: Sequel to Something good can work. Set 7 years after they moved to Boston. Follow Fitz and Olivia into adulthood, careers and family plans. I do not own Scandal.
1. Chapter 1

"Hello?" Olivia called as she entered the apartment.

"Hey babe. You're back early." Fitz smiled as he joined Olivia in the living room. The sight of him was almost enough to make her forget about her day.

He was just getting out of the shower. He had a white fluffy towel wrapped around his waist and his beautifully sculpted chest was covered with small droplets. His hair was still wet and the curls were hanging wildly around his beautiful face. Olivia's eyes roamed from his superman curl to his chiseled jaw to his muscular shoulders, down his pecks, all the way to his prominent abs and the gorgeous V shape above his pelvis. Yes, he looked good enough to eat and was almost enough to make her forget about her day. Almost.

"Hi." She smiled weakly, trying to hide her disappointment and general tiredness. He saw right through it.

"What's wrong?" He frowned as he walked to her, wrapping his arms low around her waist.

"Nothing." She forced a smile again. "I'm fine." She ran her hands up and down his arms.

"Livvie, I know you." He sighed. "I know when something's upsetting you. You were so excited when you left. What happened?"

Olivia sighed, a small smile curling up her lips at how well he knew her. "It was a train wreck. When I arrived at the firm for my interview, everything was all right, everyone was nice. But then, they told me the "job" was actually an unpaid internship in some dark corner of the office. It would basically be about making photocopies and bringing coffees to others. When I told them that it wasn't what they advertised, they told me that someone with as little experience shouldn't expect anything more from any firm. They basically told me I was lucky to even be considered for a glorified errand girl job. It was just so... Frustrating." She huffed as she walked out of his arms. She pulled on her coat angrily and threw it on the couch before walking to the kitchen.

Fitz followed her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, soothingly caressing her stomach. "Baby, you know it's complete bullshit, right?" He said, kissing her hair before turning her around in his arms. "There is a real job out there for you. Just because those idiots can't see your potential doesn't mean nobody will. You have to give it time."

"I know, I know." She sighed as she rested her head against his chest. "I just... I'm tired of looking for a job. I want to start, I want to sink my teeth into real work now."

"And you will. The process is long but when you find the right firm from you, you will be glad you waited."

Olivia hummed and nodded her head against his chest as Fitz' hands comfortingly caressed her back.

"You're wet." She giggled, swiping the droplets of water on his chest.

"Hmm hmm." Fitz hummed, a smirk appearing on his face. "Maybe I can find a way to make you wet." He grinned as one of his hands moved to the front of her slacks and started working on the button.

"Nice try." Olivia laughed, swatting his hand away. "I want to go the gym and then we have the meeting with the wedding planner." She said as she walked away.

Fitz grabbed her elbow and pulled her back to him. "You know you don't need to go to the gym. If you want to work out a sweat, I can suggest a few fun ways to do so." He whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe.

"Hmmm... No." Olivia protested weakly as his hand caressed her core over her pants. "Stop, we don't have time."

"There's always time, kitten." He smiled as he continued his ministrations and guided her towards their bedroom. The feeling of his warm breath against her neck and his hand between her legs eliminated any last trace of resistance from her mind.

XXX

"You're going to need another shower." Olivia giggled as they lay naked on their bed, their sweaty limbs tangled together, catching their breath after their impromptu romp.

"I don't know." He sighed contently, his eyes still closed. One of his arms was curled under his head and the other was protectively around Olivia's back, while her head was over his heart. "I quite like having your smell on me."

"You don't smell like me, you smell like sex." Olivia laughed.

"I smell like sex with you." He smiled as he turned his head to kiss her lips. "And I like it."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure Sandra will. She already thinks we're a couple of horn dogs, she doesn't need confirmation."

"She's our wedding planner, she should be happy about it. As long as we're having sex, then it means we're not breaking up or canceling the wedding and it means she gets her full commission."

"Nevertheless, you're taking a shower, Mister." Olivia smiled as she sat up and threw her legs over the edge, stretching her sore body. Fitz sat up and kissed her shoulders tenderly.

"Shower with me?"

"Definitely not." Olivia laughed, turning to him and cupping his cheek. "Or we're definitely going to be late." She pecked his lips and walked to the closet to choose her outfit for the afternoon. Fitz sighed and reluctantly walked to the bathroom to take his second shower that day.

XXX

Fitz and Olivia walked hand in hand in the lobby of Hart&Jolly, the company handling the preparation of their wedding. The assistant told them Sandra Jolly would be with them in a minute and they sat down in the waiting area, side by side, their hands intertwined and Fitz mindlessly playing with her engagement ring.

Olivia looked around her at the pictures on the wall and smiled. The walls were covered in pictures of satisfied customers. There were dozens of gorgeous couples on their wedding day, smiling at the camera or gazing into each other's eye lovingly. The pictures breathed happiness.

She could barely believe she would have one of those pictures in just a few months. She had no doubt she wanted to marry Fitz but it all happened so fast, she was still having a hard time taking it all in.

"Hi guys." The chipper voice of Sandra Jolly, the co-owner of the firm and their wedding planner, broke her out of the reverie. She looked up to find the lively woman cocking her head at them and giving them a strange look. "You two just had sex, didn't you?" She asked with a knowing smile.

Olivia blushed and Fitz shrugged his shoulders with a cocky smirk. "How did you know?" Olivia asked, embarrassed.

"I know a sated bride to be when I see one, love. And even if I couldn't see the glow on your face, I know you. For the past few months I've been working for you, there hasn't been one day we met when you didn't have sex in the previous 5 hours." She cocked an eyebrow at them.

"Oh god." Olivia groaned and buried her head in Fitz' shoulder. He laughed and kissed her head, standing up and pulling her with him to follow Sandra.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Olivia." Sandra waved her off. "I've had far worse couples." She guided them to her office.

"Really?" Fitz asked curiously.

"Oh yeah. I've seen it all. There was the couple who was fighting all the time. They seemed to be getting married only because they wanted the joy of a divorce. There was the rich guy and the gold digger. The guy mentioned the prenup during one of our meetings, taking her by surprise. That didn't end well. There was the couple with excessive PDA who seemed to want to prove something. There was one couple with the guy hitting on me. There was one couple with the woman hitting on me. And finally there was the couple I found having sex on my desk. Needless to say, I threw away or burned everything in that office."

Olivia and Fitz laughed at the long list. "Wow." Olivia chuckled. "Wedding planning is a wild business."

"Tell me about it." Sandra rolled her eyes, taking a seat behind her desk and inviting them to sit down.

"So, believe me when I say, you're far from being the worst couple I've had to counsel. You're actually my favorite."

"I'm sure you say that to every couple." Olivia said, feigning jealousy.

"That's true. But I don't always mean it." Sandra winked at her. "Alright, let's get to business. What do we need to discuss today?"

"Well," Fitz started glancing at Olivia. "We finally completed our guests list. There are 50 people on it. They probably won't all be there but there might be some additions along the way so we expect between 45 and 60 people at most. We decided to go with the chicken rather that the seafood in case of allergies. Now we need to talk about flowers, cakes and music. Right, babe?"

"Yes." Olivia confirmed, before turning to Sandra. "And you and I need to set up a date to go look for a dress."

"Oh right, I think I blocked a few Thursdays in the next weeks. Have you already found a shop or do you want my list?"

"I don't have anything in mind. I thought we could try a few shops and see what we find."

"Alright, I'll compile a list and send you an email with the link to their websites so you can take a look at their work and decide if some of them are completely off. "Your job," She smiled, pointing a finger at Fitz. "Is to NOT look at this email. That is the one part of the wedding you don't get to see."

"Alright." Fitz laughed raising his arms in surrender. "Not looking. I can do that."

They spent the next hour discussing details and left with a to-do list from Sandra.

XXX

After their meeting, they decided to walk around and enjoy the fall weather. They walked side by side, Olivia tucked under Fitz' arm.

"So, are you having second thoughts?" Fitz asked with a smile.

"Nope." Olivia smiled popping the 'p'. "You?"

"Never." He kissed her hair. "In 7 months, I will be able to call you Mrs. Grant. My only problem is that we have to wait so long. I just can't wait to be able to call you my wife."

"We could always just go to city hall and get married, no big fuss." Olivia suggested shyly.

"No way." He deadpanned, stopping to wrap his arms around her waist. "I want you to have the wedding you deserve. In the meantime, I'm happy you're wearing my ring." He grinned, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her engagement ring.

Olivia beamed at him and rose on her tip toes to kiss him. The kiss started out sweet but soon turned feverish and before long, they were making out in the middle of the boardwalk.

They were interrupted by the sound of Olivia's phone ringing.

"Olivia Pope." She answered. "Yes... That's right... Of course... Not this Thursday but Tuesday should be alright... Yes... 4pm?... Very well... Thank you very much... Thank you... You too..."

She hung up and found Fitz staring at her expectantly. "That was Barks & Jameson." She smiled. "They want me to come in for an interview."

"Really?" Fitz beamed. "That's great. It's an amazing firm."

"I know." She grinned widely. "I never thought they would even consider me. I'm so excited!" She was practically jumping up and down in his arms.

"We need to celebrate." Fitz laughed. "Let me take you to dinner."

"Nothing's certain yet, Fitz." She said sobering up suddenly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"I know. But it's already a big step in the right direction. You deserve a nice night out. Come on, let's go." He answered kissing her lips and pulling on her hand.

XXX

After a quick nap and a shower, Fitz and Olivia took a cab to their favorite restaurant. Fitz had called ahead to make sure they had their booth at the back of the restaurant so that they could celebrate in peace.

"To you." He smiled raising his glass of champagne. "To my beautiful, smart bride to be who I know will slay her interview at one of the most reputable firms in Massachusetts."

"And to my handsome, charming husband to be who always makes me feel like the center of the universe." She answered with a matching smile.

"That's because you are the center of my universe, baby." Fitz answered with a lopsided grin.

"That was so corny." Olivia snorted.

"Maybe." Fitz shrugged. "But it doesn't mean it's not true." He cupped her chin with one hand and seized her lips.

They spent the rest of the meal chatting idly, kissing and teasing each other. Fitz' hand was a permanent fixture on Olivia's leg. His fingers caressed the soft, warm skin of her inner thigh, causing her breath to hitch every time he skimmed her covered core.

Olivia chose a less direct approach, letting her hands caress and massage Fitz' shoulders and kissing the stubble on his neck and cheek. She intermittently made her way to his ear, kissing and playing with his lobe.

"Take me home. Now." She whispered in the middle of their dessert.

Fitz wasted no time in complying. He threw a few bills on the table and pulled a giggling and aroused Olivia with him. They found a cab fairly fast and managed to get home, with almost all their clothes on, in less than 20 minutes.

As soon as Olivia opened the door and guided them into their apartment, Fitz closed the door with his foot and pinned her to the wall.

His mouth immediately attached to her neck and his hands roamed her thighs, bunching her dress around her waist. He moved one of his hands inside her panties and his fingers headed straight to her clit causing her head to fly back and hit the wall. She moaned and gripped his shoulders, her hips grinding against him.

"Fitz... Please... No teasing. I want y-... I want you now..." She moaned.

Fitz smiled against her cheek but continued his assault, pushing her dress strap out of the way to attach his mouth to her nipple.

Knowing that he would be able to play like that all night, Olivia decided to take matters into her own hands. She moved her hands to his belt and hastily pushed his pants down his legs. She gripped his length and smiled when she felt him weaken at the feeling. She guided him to her core and pushed his fingers out of the way.

Unable to resist her longer, Fitz gripped her legs and surged into her in one move.

"Is this what you wanted, kitten?" He asked as he thrust into her slowly.

"Oh G- Oh yes... This i- This is what I need." She breathed.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and crossed her ankles behind his back, using the leverage to meet his thrusts.

Fitz moved his hands to her cheeks and squeezed as he moved her up and down his shaft. Their lips reunited and they engaged in the familiar dance of tongues and lips, moaning into each other's mouth and breathing each other in.

Feeling his legs about to give out, Fitz quickly moved them to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed, on top of Olivia. He quickly resumed his movements, increasing the pace of his thrusts. Olivia arched her back under him and the sight of her proffered breasts made Fitz' mouth water. He closed his mouth around the tight bud and sucked on it until Olivia cried out.

"You taste so good, kitten." He groaned. "You feel so good."

"You too... Oh my God, you too... I... Aaaaah... Don't st-stop."

When he felt her walls starting to close around him and heard her breaths becoming shorter, he knew she was close. Knowing he wouldn't last long either, he moved his fingers to her bundle of nerves and rubbed quick circles until her climax took her and him with her.

He moved into her a few more times before collapsing to his side and wrapping his arms and legs around Olivia tightly. He kissed her face repeatedly before aiming for her lips. They kissed until the air was becoming too much of a necessity and even then, they kept their face only a few inches apart.

Suddenly, Olivia was seized by a fit of giggles and Fitz stared at her confused.

"What is so funny?" He asked frowning.

"I... Nothing... I just... If this is how we celebrate me getting an interview, I can't wait to see what you have in store for when I actually get a job."

Fitz' confusion turned to glee and he seized Olivia's lips again. "Well, I don't know yet but it will probably be something similar to what you did to me when I got my job."

Olivia's cheeks flushed at the memory and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. They spent the rest of the night kissing and cuddling, only falling asleep when the sun started to rise.

* * *

><p><strong>Helloooooo everyone! We're back on the road!<strong>

**So, a few explanations about this chapter and this story. It takes place 7 years after the end of SGCW. Olivia just passed the bar exam and is now looking for a job. Fitz started working a few years before. They are still living in the same apartment in Boston but they are also ENGAGED. Yayyyyy! I will explain the engagement in a flashback in a future chapter. In fact, I might do a lot of flashbacks as we encounter new characters in this story.**

**I chose to have them engaged so that we could get faster to the good, happy stuff like marriage and family. Although we might have to wait longer for a baby. We shall see...**

**Anywho, let me know what you thought of this first chapter and send me your ideas.**

**I'm incredibly excited to get started again with a more mature and established Olitz. This is gonna be so much fun!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Memories

**Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next few days, Olivia busied herself researching everything she could about the firm. She read testimonies from old employees, visited forums and blogs on the interview process in law firms, polished her resumes, called former teachers to get advice. She almost worked more than Fitz. When he left in the morning, she was in her PJs, working on their bed and when he came back in the evening, she was often working on their couch or in their office.<p>

Not wanting her to burn out all her energy before she even got to the interview, Fitz strongly suggested they spent an evening without talking about work or law or interviews. Olivia protested at first but Fitz didn't back down. He knew Olivia probably didn't even need all her research and he knew for sure she didn't need the added stress of reading other people's bad experience. He forced her to close her laptop and books, turn off her phone and join him on the couch for an evening of binge food and Netflix watching.

It took Olivia a while to really relax and let her mind stop working but after three re-runs of Friends and Fitz' massage of her feet and calves, she finally let go of her worries and focused on the wonderful man by her side. She shifted on the couch until she was tucked under his arm, her head on his chest and her hand under his shirt, caressing his well-defined abs.

"Do you think this is what we'll look like as an old couple?" She asked Fitz.

"You mean snuggled up on the couch watching old shows and eating bad food?"

"Yeah. We'll probably get fat…" She smiled.

"Will you still love me when I'm bald and have a big belly?" Fitz asked feigning insecurity.

"I'll still love you when you're fat but if you lose your hair, I'm out of here, buddy." She teased.

"Hey!" he pinched her side, making her squeal and snuggle further into him. "You can't leave me anyway. In 7 months, we'll be married and from that point on, you have no way out."

"I don't want any way out." She smiled up at him, caressing his cheek.

"Good. Because I will chase you and bring you back anyway."

"I know you will." She leaned up and kissed his lips softly before settling back against him and focusing back on the show.

As she drifted off on Fitz' shoulder, Olivia allowed her thoughts to go back to one of the happiest days of her life, the day she agreed to marry Fitz and spend the rest of her days with him.

XXX

It was over two years ago. Fitz was already well settled in his job and Liv had just finished her latest session of exams. To celebrate the end of her hermit time, Fitz took her for a weekend out of the city. They left early Saturday morning and drove to Long Wharf North where they took a ferry to the Boston Harbor Islands.

Courtesy of the cool weather, they were almost alone on the trails. They walked hand in hand, only separating when the trails became too narrow. Under the pretense of courtesy, Fitz allowed Olivia to walk before him. The truth was he just wanted to watch her ass clad in her leggings. Knowing him like the back of her hand, Olivia consciously added an extra sway to her hips, smiling when she heard him growl behind her and get even closer.

They walked for most of the day, only stopping for lunch and a quick nap on one of the beaches before walking to the top of one of the hills where they knew they could set up camp. When they arrived, they set up everything they would need for their dinner evening and night. Fitz set up the tent while Olivia collected wood for the fire. Then, he set up a comfortable spot for them near the fire with blankets and pillows so they could enjoy their dinner and evening under the stars.

By the time they were done, the sun was starting to set down. Olivia sat down between Fitz' legs and they watched as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

"Thank you for taking me here." Olivia sighed as the last beam of light disappeared.

"Anytime." He smiled as he kissed her temple. "You worked hard those past few weeks, you deserved a break."

"I love that after all these years, you still swoop me off my feet. I love that I still enjoy our time just the two of us more than anything else."

"Were you worried that was going to change?" Fitz asked as his lips caressed her head and his hands moved up and down her arms.

"I was worried going public was going to change our dynamic. I was worried that because we didn't have to hide anymore, we would not get those intimate moments. I mean, I didn't think we would stop having time just the two of us but I feared it wouldn't be as intense and intimate."

"And now?"

"Now, I'm not worried. It's been years and we still have those moments, those minutes when it's just the two of us. And no matter if we're alone or if there are people around, I still get this feeling like I'm the most important person to you."

"That's because you are." Fitz whispered as Olivia turned her head to face him.

"I know." She smiled. "Thank you for making me feel that way."

"I can't control it you know. T's not like I decided you would be the most important person in my life. It's not like I could actually control the love and respect I have for you. You only have your awesome self to blame for that." He kissed her nose and smiled as she scrunched up her face.

She pecked his lips before getting up to get their dinner while Fitz fed the fire. They ate side by side, chatting about the latest gossip from Harvard and what the future held for them. After dessert, Olivia lied down on the covers, her head resting on Fitz' lap, his hands caressing her hair mindlessly. They stared at the fire quietly, mesmerized by the flames.

After a while, Fitz heard Olivia's breath evening out and looked down to see her drifting off to sleep. He looked at her for long minutes, taking in every detail on her face. He watched as her eyes moved behind her closed lids, how her breaths escaped her slightly parted lips, how her lips curled up in her sleep when he raked her neck lightly. He gazed lovingly at her cheeks and her long eyelashes.

He suddenly felt like all the emotions were too much. There was so much warmth gathered in the pit of his stomach, he felt like if he didn't say the words, he would literally explode. He needed to put it out there because he couldn't imagine another minute when she didn't know with absolute certainty what she meant to him.

He caressed her face slowly until her eyes blinked open and the stars aligned as their eyes met and a lazy smile caressed her lips.

"I fell asleep on you." She smiled sheepishly, her smile turning to a frown when she saw the serious look on his face. He was looking at her so intently she started to squirm. "What's…" She started.

"Marry me." He said.

Olivia's eyes widened in shock and her mouth gaped as her sleepy brain tried to understand the meaning of his words.

"What…" She tried again and was stopped by his sigh.

"This isn't how it was supposed to come out…" He breathed as he looked ahead. "I was supposed to have this romantic dinner ready. I had a whole evening planned out, with flowers and candles and your favorite food. I even have a ring. Well, I don't have it now because it wasn't… I wasn't… I was going to wait for the summer to ask you. I was… There was a whole plan…" He looked down at her and locked eyes with her.

"It caught me by surprise. I just… I couldn't wait another minute…" He whispered. "Olivia, I love you. You know that. And you probably know that this moment was coming. Probably not today, probably not even this year but you know what you mean to me, right?" Olivia nodded, unable to form words as tears gathered in her eyes.

"We were never supposed to be together. When we met, we should have stayed away from each other, you should have had your first love with someone your age and maybe spend your life with them or break up when you got to college. And I… I should have met some nice girl, maybe another teacher and married her, have 2.5 kids, a house in the suburbs and an ordered little life as a high school teacher.

We were never supposed to get together. But we did. And I thank God every day that we did. Because meeting you was the single most important moment of my life. It changed everything for me. It gave me the will to change, to be better, to follow my dreams. And most importantly, it gave me you.

You are the most beautiful, smart, kind woman I have ever met and you chose me. You chose to be with me. Despite all the obstacles and the heartache we met along the way, you still choose to be with me every day.

When I wake up in the morning and look to the side and find your beautiful face, I feel like a god. I feel like I could take away the world. Your love makes me feel like that. Your love for me and my love for me makes me wants to move mountains.

And I want the world to know that. I want the world to know and to see that you are the single most important person in my life.

So, please, allow me to show them just that. Allow me to show you every day just how much you mean to me. Allow me to try every day to make you the happiest you can be. Allow me to screw up and try again. Allow me to build a future with you, for you…

Marry me, Olivia Carolyn Pope and make me the happiest, most complete man on earth."

Olivia was trembling in Fitz' lap, sobs wracking her body at the most beautiful words she had ever heard. Her throat was choked up but her brain was screaming 'yes!'. She opened her mouth a few times but nothing came out, she wiped away the tears but more appeared. She got up from Fitz' lap and sat on her knees in front of him.

She grabbed his face between her hands and stared at every inch of it. He looked in pain, waiting for her answer. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were almost sad. Olivia released another sob and lunged on him, causing him to fall backwards. She kissed him as if her life depended on it. When she felt he was starting to pass out from the lack of air, she moved her kisses to his cheeks, eyes, jaw, chin.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the third. I will marry you, you wonderful man. Yes!"

"Yes?" Fitz asked for confirmation, his face lighting up with hope.

"Yes, oui, da, sí, ja!"

"Yes… You said yes…" He laughed incredulously. "She said yes!" He screamed into the night. He rolled them over until she was on her back and he was over her and peppered her face with kisses. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You just made me so happy. You have no idea."

"Oh, believe me, I have an idea." She laughed and brought his face to hers so she could kiss him fully. Their tears mixed and new ones appeared but they never stopped kissing.

After a while, the kiss grew more passionate and Olivia's hands slipped under Fitz' shirt so she could caress his back. She moved her hands to his front and attacked his belt buckle.

"I want you. Now. Here." She whispered between kisses.

Fitz growled in her mouth and attacked her clothes, practically ripping them off her body. They were feverish in their attack, their hands roaming, their lips kissing and sucking, their legs tangling together.

Fitz grinded his legs against Olivia's core and relished in the warmth and moisture of her folds. He wanted to take his time, he wanted to tease her and make her scream his name so that people on other islands could hear her but he couldn't wait. He needed to be inside her, he needed to become one with her to seal their bond.

He slowed down their kissing and pulled away so that he could look at her. He watched mesmerized at the reflection of the flames in her brown orbs. He used one hand to caress her hair and face and the other hand to guide her hips to his.

He moved just an inch inside her and they both moaned. Olivia closed her eyes when he moved another inch but he kissed her eyelids.

"Look at me." He whispered. "Livvie, my love, look at me…"

Olivia painfully opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of him. His eyes were full of love, adoration and lust and it was all for her. When he was sure, she wasn't closing her eyes again, he surged into her in one stroke making her scream in rapture.

He wasted no time before starting a deep rhythm. He pinned her to the floor with one hand to make sure she could not move, to make sure he had all control and she had no other choice but to absorb the pleasure he was giving her and he moved in and out of her, slowly, deeply, circling his hips on the way in.

When she started thrashing her head around and her nails started digging in his biceps, he knew he needed to increase his pace to give her more. He went deeper, faster and, in a matter of minutes, he felt the telltale sign of her walls starting to contract. He moved his kisses to her neck, under her ear.

"Come for me, beautiful." He whispered huskily. "Come for me now… My wife."

His words were Olivia's undoing. She bucked up under him, her back arching and her nails raking his back, a loud scream escaping her lips as she came around him, pushing him over the edge with her, a loud growl emanating from his throat.

XXX

Olivia woke up with a jolt as the sound of her moan. She had been dreaming of that night and the simple memory of their intense love making was enough to have her body on fire.

"What were you dreaming about?" Fitz smirked knowingly from above her.

"Nothing." She answered, her cheeks flushing. "I mean… I don't know."

"That didn't sound like nothing to me." He teased. "Why don't I take you to our bedroom and I can try to elicit that same sound out of you?"

"Oh, shut up." She exclaimed, embarrassed as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Don't be shy." He smiled a lopsided grin. "That was incredibly sexy. You, squirming on my lap and rubbing your legs together, those little moans escaping your luscious lips." Olivia felt her body warming up as he whispered those words huskily in her ear. "Come on, kitten. Let me take you to bed and finish what you started without me."

Unable to take any more of his words without coming on the spot, Olivia sealed their lips together and climbed on his lap. Fitz' hands immediately went to her ass and he stood up and took her to the bedroom where he spent the evening making good on his words.


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, I got my wallet. My resume and my notes with my talking points are in the file. My clothes are hanging here. I got the address of the offices here. My notepad… Where's my notepad? Fitz, have you seen my notepad?" She asked panicked.

Fitz rolled his eyes and fell on his back on the bed. It was the day before Olivia's interview at Barks & Jameson and she was losing her mind. She had spent the past hour running around the apartment, making sure everything was ready. She had checked every item at least 4 times and Fitz knew for a fact that her notepad was in her briefcase because she had already checked 45 minutes ago and 25 minutes ago.

Fitz was trying his best not to lose his calm but she was really starting to make him nervous. He knew she was stressed about her interview the next day and this was her way of dealing with it. She was worried sick and making sure everything was ready was the only way to regain a bit of control over things but watching her about to cry over the fact that she couldn't find her notepad, Fitz decided this was doing more harm than good.

He stood up and walked over to Olivia who was frantically looking through her desk. He picked her up in a fireman hold and, despite her protests brought her back to their bedroom and threw her lightly on the bed.

"Fitz, what the hell are you doing?" She asked him harshly as she tried to move off the bed.

"Quiet." He ordered as he pushed her back to where she was lying down on her back. He climbed over her and held her chin in his hand. "You notepad is where you put it an hour ago, in your briefcase, with your pens and all your notes. Your clothes are ready, you know the address and your taxi has been booked. You have a water bottle and some mints. All the phone numbers you might need are in your phone and there's a copy in your notes. There's an umbrella in your purse in case it rains along with a makeup case and a hairbrush.

You worked on this interview for hours, you know your resume like the back of your hand, you've over analyzed every experience, and you've prepared for every question… You are _ready_. Okay?"

"But…" Olivia started.

"No buts. You are ready for this interview, you're going to rock this interview. They would be fools not to hire you and barks & Jameson are no fools. You're running around like a headless chicken and you might think it's helping you to make sure everything is ready but at this rate you're just giving yourself an ulcer. And giving me one too." He smiled. "I'm an old man, I don't need an ulcer." He joked.

"What if I'm not good enough?" Olivia whispered, her eyes watering.

"No." Fitz answered simply.

"No? What is that…" Olivia asked confused.

"No, I don't want to even hear you say such things. Those are stupid thoughts. And you, Olivia Pope…" he leaned down, his lips inches from hers. "Are not stupid. You are smart." He kissed her lips once. "Brilliant." He kissed her chin. "Driven." He kissed her jaw. "Formidable." He kissed her neck and looked up when he heard her moan. "You are extraordinary and you are ready. You need to relax."

Olivia opened her eyes to find him staring at her. He looked so sure of himself, she felt herself instantly relaxing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him. He promptly responded to the kiss, his tongue wrapping around hers and his hips grinding into hers.

Olivia pulled away. "You're right, I'm sorry. Thank you." She kissed his lips quickly and caressed his cheek.

"Anytime, my love. Are you feeling better?" He asked.

"Yes. Much." She smiled up at him.

"You sure?" Fitz smiled as he moved his lips to her neck once again. "I think you're still a little tense." He moved his hand down her body until it reached the front of her pants. "Let me take care of that." He whispered as he moved his hand inside her pants and panties, heading straight to her pearl.

Olivia almost protested but when he started rubbing her clit with those magic fingers as his lips attacked her neck and collar bone, all she could do was close her eyes as she moaned. "No hickeys." She reminded him in a last flash of clarity.

XXX

"Babe, your cab is here." Fitz called. It was 3pm on the dreaded Tuesday and Olivia was applying the final touches of makeup.

"Coming." She answered and walked out of their bedroom. Fitz turned around and looked at her, his jaw dropping at the sight. "What?" She asked nervously, looking down at what she was wearing, looking for a stain or imperfection.

"Nothing… Absolutely nothing. You're just… You look stunning, that's all." He smiled as he walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. "And you smell amazing too." He kissed her hair, not wanting to mess up her makeup.

"It isn't too much is it?" She asked.

"No, it's perfect. Very professional, very classy. You look slightly older but I guess that was the point?"

"Yes." She smiled. "Thank you, Fitz." She wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders. "And thank you for staying with me today. You didn't have to work from home."

"Are you kidding? You would have gone crazy if I had left you here all alone. The carpet would be gone with all your pacing." He winked down at her. She slapped his arm, trying to hide her smile. "Besides, I was happy to be here. And I'm going to be here when you come back, okay?" She nodded at him. "Alright, let me walk you out."

They walked down the stairs and Fitz held the door open for her. "Knock'em dead, baby. I'll see you in a few hours." He closed the door and watched as the cab drove her away. He went back inside and decided to dive into work to stop himself from worrying about Liv.

XXX

"Good afternoon, I'm Olivia Pope. I have an interview with Jennifer Callum at 4pm."

"Alright. May I have an ID?" The receptionist asked.

"Oh, yes. There you go."

"Thank you." She typed in a few times on her computer before handing Olivia her ID back. "Very good. Please, have a seat over there, I'll call for someone to come meet you."

"Thank you." Olivia smiled. She went to sit in the waiting area and picked up a brochure to pass the time.

A few minutes later, a man approached her. "Ms. Pope?" He asked.

"Huh, yes, that's me." She answered confused. She was pretty sure Jennifer Callum didn't look like a 55 year old man.

"Nice to meet you." The older man smiled warmly. "I'm Jonas Barks, I'm one of the name partners here."

"Huh, yes, of course. Huh… Nice to meet you, sir, I… I'm sorry, I just… I expected Ms. Callum."

"Oh, yes, I wasn't very busy and once in a while I like to interview potential employees myself. I hope it isn't a problem."

"No, of course not. I guess I was just surprised."

"Please, follow me." He guided her towards the elevators.

Two hours later, Olivia felt like her head was ready to explode. The interview hadn't gone at all like she had planned. It wasn't bad per se but it was certainly challenging. She had prepared for an HR interview where she would describe her curses and experiences and talk about her qualities and plans for the future. She hadn't prepared for an actual conversation about legislation, her thoughts on Congress and law firms strategies.

At first, she had been unsettled by the direction of the interview but after a while she had dived into the conversation, talking passionately about her favorite subjects. Jonas Barks had challenged her at every opportunity but she hadn't fallen in any trap and had actually enjoyed talking to the man.

"Alright, Ms. Pope, you can breathe, I'm done trying to trip you." Jonas Barks smiled and Olivia actually breathed a sigh of relief. "You have quite a full head on your shoulders."

"Thank you, sir." Olivia smiled shyly.

"Alright, I can't give you a definitive response right now, so I'm going to let you go. I'll discuss our meeting with a few partners and give them my feedback. If we agree to proceed further, then someone will call you and set up a meeting with another lawyer or partner so you can discuss more about the firm and yourself. If that goes well, then we will make you an offer and from then on, it's up to you. Any questions?"

"Huh, yes. Is there going to be a test case, you know something to check my abilities?"

"You come from Harvard Law, Ms. Pope, that should be enough for anyone. Plus, our conversation today proved to me that you didn't get here by mistake. And finally, you're a smart woman, whatever you don't know, I'm sure you'll learn very fast."

"Of course." She nodded frantically. "I'll work as much as you need me to."

"Excellent. Let me walk you down." He smiled.

Jonas Barks walked Olivia back to the lobby. "It was very nice to meet you Ms. Pope. I hope to see you again very soon."

"Thank you, Mr. Barks. Thank you for taking the time to see me. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you."

Olivia walked out of the Barks & Jameson building with a pep in her steps. She hailed a cab and smiled the whole way back to their apartment.

XXX

"Babe, I'm home!" Olivia sang as she opened the front door. "Babe? Where are you? I've got a lot to tell you."

Fitz appeared from the office with the phone to his ear and a finger on his lips. Understanding she just yelled while he was on a phone call, Olivia mouthed 'oops' and giggled before gesturing toward the bedroom to indicate she was going to change. Fitz nodded and went back to the office.

A few minutes later, he joined her in the bedroom and crashed on the bed next to her. "Hey." He sighed. "How did it go?"

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah yeah, just work stuff." He reassured her, kissing her shoulder. "Come on. How was your interview? What did she say? Are you hired yet?"

"Well…" Olivia beamed as she turned to face him and crossed her legs. "I didn't do the interview with Jennifer Callum, I did it with Mr. Barks."

"Mr. Barks? As in Jonas Barks, the name partner?" Fitz asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes, apparently he likes to participate in the hiring process sometimes. It went really well. I introduced myself quickly and then we didn't talk about me for 2 hours. We just talked about law and lawyers and law firms. He is amazing, he has a really sharp mind. I so want to work for them."

"That's great, baby." Fitz smiled, caressing her leg. "So, is he hiring you?"

"I don't know. He has to talk to other partners and then, there might be another interview. But it went really well and I'm really optimistic."

"That's great, baby. I knew you would rock that interview. I'm so proud of you." He leaned up and kissed her.

"What about you? Did you manage to get anything done once you didn't have to stop me from climbing up the walls every 5 minutes?" She asked as she walked into their closet.

"Huh, yeah... I got some work done."

"What is it? You sound weird." She noted as she walked back into the room.

"I… Nah, it's just… Ugh… I got a new case and… One of the guys working with me is Jessie Holton."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was… Apparently, he was hired last month and they want me to show him around."

"Are… Are you going to do it?" Olivia asked nervously. "I mean, you're never going to be able to work with him without losing it and it's going to end badly. I don't want you to get in trouble. You can't work with him."

"No. Never." He exclaimed, getting up from the bed and walking to her. "Hey, look at me." He tilted her chin up. "Damn it, I shouldn't even have mentioned it. Look, I'm going to talk to the partners and tell them I can't work with him. I'll never work with him, ever. You won't have to see his ugly ass face, okay?"

"Okay." Olivia nodded as she hugged him to her.

**3 years ago**

Fitz parked the car in front of O'Sullivan's and quickly got out to open the door for Olivia. A few guys from Fitz' class from Harvard were organizing a get together for old time sake's. There would be people from their class and previous years as well as a few people who were currently at Harvard. It was an opportunity to mingle, catch up and make a few connections.

Fitz and Olivia entered the pub and quickly noticed a group of people they knew. They went to meet them after ordering beers. Olivia watched as Fitz caught up with his friends, quickly getting into a conversation about their respective law firms. After a while, she felt like an outsider and looked around to see if she knew anyone. She noticed Carrie waving at her and decided to go say 'hi'.

"I'm going to see Carrie." She told Fitz and kissed his cheek. He smiled at her and watched her leave before resuming his conversation.

One hour and two beers later, he had moved to another group of people he didn't know. They were from a year before him and one of the guys did an internship at his law firm and they were catching up on the people they knew there when another guy interrupted them.

"Wow…" He slurred. "Look at the chick at the bar. I wouldn't mind banging her."

They all turned around in the direction he was pointing at and Fitz felt his blood boiling when he saw it was Olivia.

"That's my girlfriend." He said coldly staring the guy down.

"Really? I didn't think you were the kind of guy who went that way…"

"And what way is that exactly?" Fitz asked, trying his best to keep his tone even.

"You know… The exotic way. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a little exoticism once in a while. Plus I hear those chicks get pretty freaky in the sheets. Is it true?"

Fitz couldn't believe his ears. Logically, he knew the guy was drunk but he still couldn't believe the level of ignorance he was displaying.

"What's your name?" He asked his tone low and dangerous.

"Jessie. Jessie Holton. What's yours?" He asked, holding out his hand to Fitz, totally oblivious to the fact the he was seconds away from getting his face bashed in.

"Well, _Jessie_." Fitz started, his voice dripping with contempt. "That is none of your fucking business. And if I hear you talking about her or anyone for that matter in that way ever again, I will make sure you can't talk for a few weeks. You got that?"

"Wow, easy there bro. I was just saying she's hot. Don't get your panties twisted in a bunch, that was a compliment."

"That wasn't a compliment. That was an ignorant and disrespectful comment about my girlfriend. And I'm not your _bro_."

"Okay there, let's all calm down." One of the other guys intervened. "Jamie here has had a little bit too much to drink. Sorry Fitz, it won't happen again."

"Whatever." Jessie huffed before walking away.

Fitz clenched and unclenched his fists a few times in an attempt to keep his calm. He inhaled deeply and excused himself from the guys to take a walk outside. He needed some fresh air to gather his thoughts.

He knew there would always be ignorant people who would make stupid comments and assumptions about Olivia and about their relationship but it didn't hurt any less. His only comfort was that Olivia hadn't heard the jerk talking about her this way. He only had to deal with these comments since they were together and they weren't even about him but she had had to hear them for years and he couldn't imagine how she felt about it.

He wished he could keep her from this pain but rationally, he knew he couldn't protect her from everything. She had told him herself multiple times when they discussed the subject. She always tried to sound okay with it for his sake but he knew it hurt her deeply every time someone used her skin color to make assumptions about her personality.

He turned around and watched through the pub's window, looking for her. The sight of her always made everything better. He spotted her talking to someone and immediately knew something was wrong. She wore a frown on her face and her arms were wrapped around her defensively. When he saw who she was talking to, he understood why and his blood started boiling again.

Jessie Fucking Holton.

He rushed inside and toward her. As he approached, he heard part of the conversation.

"Hey, don't get offended, doll. I'm just saying, you seem to like the white meat and I've never tried it with a… you know… urban girl. So, if you ever drop your boyfriend, give me a call."

Fitz saw red at his comment and when he saw the pain look on Olivia's face, he completely lost it. He grabbed Jamie's shoulder and whipped him around before throwing his fist in his face full force sending him flying several feet from there.

Without losing a beat, he walked to him and grabbed his collar, punching him in the face two more times before other guys grabbed him and pushed him off.

"Calm down, man. What the hell?" One of the guys asked him.

Fitz ignored him and turned back to Jessie who was on the floor moaning. "I told you what would happen if you disrespected her again, you piece of shit. Don't you ever get near any of us or I will end you." He screamed, his face contorted in rage.

He turned to Olivia who was still by the bar, her arms around herself and her eyes watering. She looked up at him and his heart broke at how pained and scared she looked. He walked to her and wrapped her in his arms tightly, rubbing her back. She sobbed in his chest and he kissed her hair several times.

"Come on, let's go home." He whispered before taking her hand and walking her to the car silently.

They rode home in complete silent. Fitz was still reeling, his grip on the wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white and Olivia was looking out the window, deep in thoughts. The walked in their apartment, still silent and went to their bedroom. Fitz sat on the bed while Olivia undressed.

"Liv." Fitz called after a few moments. "Come here." He beckoned her to sit next to him on the bed. She hesitated for a few seconds before joining him. "Talk to me." He begged.

"You scared me." She whispered, looking down at her hands.

"I… I scared you?" He frowned, confused. "How?"

"When you attacked that guy, I… All I could think about was that you could get in trouble or get arrested. I couldn't care less about him, he doesn't matter but you? You're everything to me and… Whenever something like that happens, I'm afraid you'll do something stupid or get hurt trying to defend me. And that scares me so much…"

"I'm sorry." He whispered, wrapping her in his arm and pulling her on his lap. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that. I just… I was just so angry… The things he said to you and about you… I can't stand it when someone insults you like that. And you had that look on your face… I just… I didn't think… All I could think about was that he was responsible for that look and I wanted to make him pay for that."

"I know." She said, raising her head and cupping his cheek with her hand. "I know you were trying to protect me. And I'm not going to lie, what he said to me, it stung, really bad." Fitz clenched his jaw. "But he's not worth going to jail for or risking losing your job. He's just an ignorant jerk and beating him up won't solve anything."

"Well, maybe next time, he will think about it twice before opening his mouth and making a dumb racist comment." Fitz answered sullenly.

"Fitz, you can't go on a rampage every time someone makes a racist remark. There will always be someone to make a stupid assumption or try to rile you up, you can't let it get to you."

"How can I not? How can _you_ not?" He asked dumbfounded.

"It gets to me." She exclaimed getting up from his lap and pacing the room. "Of course it does. And it hurts, badly. But how is beating him up helping? Do you think that after that he's going to think 'oh that's right, I was wrong, racism is wrong, I am now cured from any discriminative thoughts'? Is that how you think it works?"

"No, but he'll think about it twice before making those comments out loud." Fitz exclaimed, standing up too.

"That doesn't solve anything." Olivia shouted. "It won't change his way of thinking. The problem is not what people say, it's what they believe and how they behave accordingly to those beliefs. You don't fight racism by beating up every ignorant asshole, you fight it by showing them that we're just as good. No, actually, you fight it by showing them that we're better than them, that we won't stoop down to their level."

"You think they'll realize that? You think they'll see you be successful and say 'oh yeah, maybe I was wrong'. You can't be naïve about it. It's been imprinted in their brains for years that different skin colors mean different abilities and different place in society. You can't change them." Fitz threw his hands in the air.

"But beating them up will? I'm not being naïve here Fitz. But by attacking that guy you gave weight to his words. By letting them get to you, you told him that his words have more importance than the truth. Is that the message you want to send?"

"No, of course not." Fitz sat down looking defeated and buried his face in his hands.

Olivia hated to see him like that. She sat down next to him and rubbed his neck. "I know you were looking out for me. I know you hurt from those comments just as bad as I do but I'm just trying to make you understand it doesn't solve the problem. It doesn't make anything any better."

"It made me feel better." He mumbled, his head still buried in his hands.

"Really?" She asked, grabbing his face softly and forcing him to look at her. "Can you honestly say that you feel better now? Physically and mentally?"

Fitz opened his mouth a few times but the more he thought about it, the more he realized she was right. "I… I don't. You're right. It just really… It is actually physically painful to hear something so idiotic."

"I know. But you need to learn to deal with it differently otherwise you're going to do something really stupid."

"I know, I know." Fitz sighed. "Are you okay?" He asked, turning towards her, realizing he had made this about him when it was actually about her.

"Yeah." She sighed. "I can't say it didn't put a damper on the mood but I'm not going to let it ruin my evening. Fitz, I've had to hear these kinds of comments for years. And when it's not comments it's the way people look at me. I've learned to pick my battles and I've learned how to fight those battles.

I'm not saying I'm okay with it. I'll never be okay with it but I've learned that the best way to get revenge on this kind of people is to show them who I am, because of and despite my skin color.

There's no better feeling than looking at what I've accomplished and realizing they wouldn't be able to accomplish half of it if they were in my shoes. My best response to them is to get to the top and smile at them from there.

Come on, let me take care of your hand."

She kissed his lips, stood up and went to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. Fitz watched her back as she left, speechless, once again amazed at how strong and wise she was.

**Present day**

"You won't have to see his ugly ass face, okay?"

"Okay." Olivia nodded as she hugged him to her.

"Come on." Fitz smiled as he pulled away slightly. "We need to celebrate your good news."

"Are we going to celebrate every step of the recruitment process?" Olivia laughed.

"You bet your sweet ass we are." Fitz smiled as he squeezed her ass. "Come on, I'll order something nice and set up the table. Go and take a shower and I'll get everything ready." He swatted her ass playfully and left to place the order.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I'm going to stop here because this chapter took a lot out of me and I don't trust myself to write anymore without sounding corny.<strong>

**I wanted to tackle the race issue because it wouldn't feel natural to avoid it. You know it's going to come up with an interracial couple. I tried my best to keep it realistic and I want to give a huge, ginormous shout out to Jen for her help on this. I was really nervous about posting this because I was afraid of reactions but she really helped me through it. Hope I did it justice.**

**Anywho, I'm sorry about the long delay, I'll try to post another lighter chapter soon.**

**Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.**

**Cheers,**

**C.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Rich?" Fitz knocked on the door of his boss' office the next morning.

"Hey Fitz." Rich smiled raising his eyes from the paper he was reading. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you had a minute. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure. Come on in, have a seat."

Fitz closed the door and went to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "I... Huh..." He started nervously, not sure how to broach the subjects. "First of all, I want to thank you for giving me the Anderson case, I really appreciate it."

"Of course. You deserve it. You worked your ass off for us. What's bothering you?" Rich asked leaning back on his chair.

"Well, it's about the team you assigned to me..." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't want to act like a diva or anything but I can't work with Holton."

"You can't?" Rich frowned. "Why?"

"It's... Personal. We have history."

"Well, Fitz, I'm sorry but that's not a good enough reason to sack someone from a case. You're gonna have to live with it."

"I can't." Fitz answered stubbornly.

"You can't? That's all you're going to give me?"

"Look, I don't want to create problems. We met once and it didn't end well. If I find myself in the same room as him, I'm going to bash his face in. So, if you can't move him to another case, I'm going to have to decline first chair on this one." He said resolutely.

"You're going to throw away your chance at a first big case over some first year?"

"Yes."

"Fitz, I don't want to be over dramatic but it's your future we're talking about."

"I am aware but I don't want to work with him and I can't work with him."

"Fitz..." Rich sighed. "You need to give me something... If I don't have a valid reason, I can't move him. And if you don't take the case, I have no one else to give it to. So I will have to hire outside the firm and that person will come in and be ahead of you for the next few years. I like you and I want you to move ahead so please don't make me do that."

Fitz exhaled and buried his face in his hands, rubbing his fingers through his hair frustratingly. "He's a racist prick." He finally said as he looked up. "He insulted my girlfriend a few years ago, in front of me and then to her face. He scared her and made her cry and made her feel like she's less than she is... He is an ignorant, insensitive asshole and I want to beat the shit out of him just thinking about him. So you can imagine what would happen if I found myself in the same room... Nothing would please me more than to punch his face until my hand can't work anymore but Liv says it doesn't help and rationally, I know she's right but that doesn't change how I feel..." Fitz was now standing up and pacing the room, his hands moving agitatedly in the air as his voice betrayed his rage.

He hadn't meant to tell Rich the truth. Even though Holton was an asshole, he didn't want to bring personal issues to the firm. But working with him, alongside him or even near him wasn't an option.

For his sanity, for his physical safety, for his professional future and for his freedom, it was crucial that he stayed away from Jessie Holton. His blood was still boiling from the memory of the look on Olivia's face. Even though it was irrational and almost impossible, he had promised himself to do everything in his power never to see that look again.

"He's off the case." Rich announced after a few moments of silence.

"Wh... I... Really?" Fitz stuttered, emerging from his thoughts.

"Yes, really. Respect is a key part of our values here at the firm. Racism and any kind of discrimination will never be tolerated. We expect a lot of our lawyers and that extends to their personal qualities. Now, I can't fire him because legally it's a he said/he said but I can make sure you never have to work with him and I can make it so he will want to leave on his own."

"You don't have to do that..."

"Are you lying to me?" Rich asked as he stood up and walked to Fitz.

"What? No!" Fitz exclaimed.

"So, he is a racist?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then, I don't want him working for me." Rich shrugged. "I'll take care of it."

"Thank you." Fitz released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Don't mention it. Now, go bring that case home." Rich smiled as he patted Fitz on his shoulder and walked him out of his office.

Walking down the hallway, Fitz felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Even though he had been ready to give up the case, he was glad he didn't have to. He was now determined to prove to Rich that he had made the right choice. He wrote a quick text to Olivia and dove into his work.

XXX

A week later.

Fitz looked around him to see if he forgot anything. The table was set, the candles were lit and the chicken was cooking in the oven. Usually, Olivia would prepare dinner for them since she didn't have to work but tonight, she was at her second interview for Barks & Jameson and Fitz wanted her to only have to relax when she came home.

"Hello?" He heard her call as she walked in.

"Hey babe, how did it go?"

"It smells and looks amazing in here." She beamed as she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning up to kiss his lips. "Did you do all this?"

"Hmm hmm." He nodded proudly. "I wanted to do something nice for you."

"I have another idea of something you can do for me." She smiled naughtily as she ran her hand over his crotch.

"Hmmm, as much as I'd like that, it'll have to wait. The chicken is almost ready and I want to hear about your interview." He kissed her deeply and pulled away, turning his attention to the dinner. "Now, go sit your sweet ass at the table, I'll be there in a minute." He turned to look at her and found her pouting. "Go sit down, babe." He chuckled. "I promise, after dinner, I'll let you have your way with me."

"Promise?" She smiled hopefully.

"Promise." He laughed.

"Okay." She clapped her hands and skipped out of the kitchen, leaving Fitz laughing.

"That was perfect." Olivia moaned as she licked the last trace of ice cream out of her bowl. Fitz smiled at the sight. He loved how, even as a grown up, she still had those childhood habits. Every time she ate ice cream, she would lick every remnant away, like a child afraid to lose a drop.

"Glad you liked it." He smiled.

"I loved it." She stood up and walked to him, raising a leg to straddle his lap and sitting down. Fitz' hands immediately went to her ass and squeezed. "Now, I believe I was promised something..." She smiled as she caressed his neck and leaned down to kiss his jaw.

"Were you now?" He asked, his voice lowering a few octaves and his shaft hardening under her ass.

"Hmm hmm." She hummed against his neck. "You promised I could have my way with you..."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Fitz asked, his eyes closing.

"Hmm hmm." She repeated. "Come with me." She asked as she stood up, took his hand and guided him to the bedroom. "Strip." She ordered as they walked in.

"You know, this works better if we are both naked." He noted, tilting his head to the side.

"We're doing things my way tonight." She purred. "Now, stop stalling and show me what's mine." She whispered against his ear, causing it to turn as red as a fire truck.

He fumbled with the buttons and ripped off his clothes until he was fully naked and exposed to her. He stood before her, unashamed as her eyes roamed his body. She walked to their drawers and took out a tie before guiding him to the bed. She pushed him until he was lying flat on his back and climbed up the bed to straddle him.

"What are you..." He asked.

"I'm going to cover your eyes, so that you really feel what I'll do to you. No peaking."

"Liv, I want to..."

"Huh huh, we're doing things my way." She smiled as she leaned down to kiss him, her tongue playing with his as she tied the tie around his head. "It's not too tight, is it?" She asked. Fitz only shook his head, too aroused to form words. "Good, now I won't tie your hands but I need you to keep them on the headboard until I say so, okay?" Fitz nodded frantically and Olivia smiled, satisfied.

She climbed off the bed to take off her clothes and came back, kissing her way up his legs. When she reached his shaft, she found it fully erect and throbbing. She blew on the tip and watched as he growled and shivered in response. She licked her lips and kissed up and down his member, her hands resting on his pelvis.

Fitz shifted his hips, looking for more friction. "Livvie, please..." He begged.

"Please what?" She murmured against his skin, causing his hips to buck up.

"Please... Just... Take me... Please..." He stammered.

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." She smiled and took him into her mouth slowly, causing him to howl out and grip the headboard tightly.

Olivia smiled inwardly and started moving her mouth up and down slowly, one hand covering the base and the other massaging his balls. Fitz grunted and moved his hands to her head, his fingers running through her hair. Olivia immediately pulled away.

"Tsk tsk." She took his wrists between her fingers and moved them back to the headboard. "No touching Mr. Grant." She smiled. Fitz grunted but seized the opportunity to suck on the nipple her felt against his cheek. Olivia felt her will faltering as he sucked on licked at the soft flesh but shook her head to snap out of it.

Fitz grunted when she pulled away but she didn't leave him time to protest as she immediately attached her mouth to his dick, increasing her pace. Her head bobbed up and down as her fingers played with his balls.

"Wait, Liv... Slow down..." Fitz begged, as he felt himself approaching his peak.

"Hmm hmm." She moaned, keeping him in her warm mouth and never reducing her speed.

"Liv, please... Not like that..." He begged again, trying as hard as he could to hold it in. Olivia smiled and raked her nails on his abs as she continued ignoring him.

Suddenly, Fitz grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away, flipping her on her back in the same movement as he ripped off the tie. He hovered over her, panting and pinned her to the bed before kissing her wildly.

"You're being a very very naughty kitten tonight." He growled as he moved his fingers between her legs and found her wet and warm. She mewled when his fingers began playing with her clit.

"Hmmm..." She moaned. "What are you going to do about it?"

Fitz didn't answer but moved two fingers inside her, relishing in the way her back arched. He moved his mouth to her breasts and teased her nipples mercilessly. Her hands went to his hair and she pulled on his curls, moaning with abandon.

Unable to wait anymore, Fitz pulled his fingers out and brought his dick to her core, entering her in one swift move.

"Oh yessssssss." Olivia hissed, her head thrown back,

Fitz sat up on his knees and pulled Olivia against his chest, bouncing her up and down his dick as his mouth attacked hers. He held out as long as he could, wanting to enjoy the feel of her skin against his and her heat around his shaft.

Her moans and the tight hold she had on his neck told him she was close. He moved one hand to her ass and the other to her neck, tilting her head so he could look into her eyes as she fell over the edge.

"Come for me, kitten." He whispered against her lips. Almost instantly, her pupils dilated, her mouth gaped open, her nails dug in his skin and her walls contracted around him. He grunted and kissed her as he followed her into bliss.

He carefully moved so he could lie down with her on top of him as they caught their breath. Olivia brought the covers around them and snuggled up to him as close as she could. Fitz hummed as his fingers rubbed mindless circles on her skin.

"Have I mentioned how much I love when you're naughty?" He asked as an afterthought, causing Olivia to laugh.

"You might have mentioned it a few times." She chuckled and kissed his chest.

"Well, I really really do. Damn, woman..."

"Damn indeed. Wanna shower?"

"Maybe later. For now, I just want to hold you."

"Fine by me." Olivia smiled as she buried her head in his neck.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello All! I'm going to start with the usual apology for the delay. I'm having a hard time continuing this story, not because I lack interest but because there are certain events I want to happen but they are a long way down the road, so I'm feeling like I'm just filling the time with useless stories…<strong>

**Anywho, I'm trying my best and I want to thank Da Prince's and Me's for putting me back in the funk. I won't promise another update soon because I don't know if I can keep that promise but know I'm trying my best.**

**So, Holton is off the case, he might have something to say about that, we shall see… Olivia had her second interview. I didn't cover this one because not much happened and I'm trying to speed up that part. And I gave you a little sexy time to make up for the delay.**

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.**

**Cheers,**

**C.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Celebratin'

"Yes! Yes! YESSSSSSSS! Oh my God! Yessssssss!"

Fitz woke up disoriented to the loud screams emanating from somewhere in the apartment. He blinked a few times and looked around him, surprised that Olivia wasn't in bed with him. It was a Saturday morning and they usually slept in late on Saturdays. He looked at the clock and frowned when he saw it was barely 8am. He heard loud thumping, like somebody jumping up and down and decided to finally get up and investigate the source of the raucous.

He slipped in a pair of boxers, stretched and walked out the hallway to the living room. The sight waiting for him wasn't anything he had expected. Olivia was in her PJs, jumping up on the couch. She held a cushion to her face as she screamed and giggled.

"Liv?" He called, confused.

Olivia pulled the cushion from her face and looked at him, her face beaming. She fell on her ass on the couch and giggled louder before standing up and jumping to him.

"Hi baby." She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips multiple times.

"You're in an awfully good mood for such an early morning." Fitz noted, smiling crookedly at her.

"I am." She sighed, still smiling dreamily. "Oh Fitz, I am. I'm so happy I'm on a high right now."

"You certainly look high." He chuckled.

"I'm high on happiness. Guess what?" She asked clapping her hands.

"I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea." Fitz shook his head laughing.

"They said yes!" She squealed.

"Who said yes to what?" He frowned.

"Barks & Jameson. They hired me. I'm starting in a few weeks." She smiled so hard she felt like her face would split in two.

"Are you serious?" He asked, his face betraying his shock.

"Yessss. A lady from HR just called me, they're sending the contract as we speak."

"Baby, that's fantastic." Fitz laughed as he picked her up and twirled her around, causing her to laugh even harder. "I'm so proud of you." He said as he put her down and held her face in his hands. "You deserve it and I just know you're going to be great."

"You think so?"

"I know so." He replied and kissed her nose three times. "We need to celebrate. We're going out tonight and I mean really going out. With friends. To a club. And we're going to party all night."

"Yes! I'll call Abby and Harrison, they can make the trip before tonight and Huck should come too. And we can ask Carrie. And maybe James too..." James was a friend of Fitz who dropped down from law school to pursue a career in Journalism.

"You should call your Dad first and I can text everyone. Or do you want to tell them yourself?"

"You call James, I'll tell the others."

"Perfect. You do that and I'll prepare us breakfast."

"Blueberry pancakes?"

"I think that's news worthy of a blueberry pancakes breakfast." Fitz chuckled and kissed her before moving to the kitchen.

XXX

After a long breakfast, the rest of the day was spent preparing for the arrival of their friends. Harrison and Abby were driving from Washington and would spend the night at Fitz and Olivia's apartment so Olivia changed the sheets in the spare bedroom. Carrie, Huck and James all had a place to stay in town so they decided everyone would meet at Great Expectations, a British pub they liked for the first round of drinks, they would decide then how they would spend the rest of the night.

Abby and Harrison arrived around 3pm. As soon as the girls saw each other, Harrison and Fitz covered their ears to protect them from the loud shrieking. They hugged and kissed before moving to the living room to catch up. With a sigh and a knowing smile, Fitz and Harrison joined them.

After they left L.A. To go to college, Abby and Harrison were in a casual/on again off again relationship until Harrison decided to get serious and took matters into his own hands by asking to be transferred to Georgetown so he could be with Abby. Unbeknownst to him, Abby had had the same idea and had asked to be transferred to UCLA. It caused a few issues when she asked to be transferred back to Georgetown but she finally made it.

Harrison was now working as a financial auditor at a big financial firm and Abby was carrying out an internship at a law firm in Washington. They had separate apartments but practically lived together.

At 8pm, their cab arrived to take them to the pub. They had decided not to take Fitz' car as they all wanted to drink. They were the first to arrive at the pub so they grabbed a few chairs and saved the table for the others. Huck arrived quickly after them, soon followed by James, then Carrie.

Once everyone had hugged, caught up or been introduced, Fitz ordered a round of drinks for everyone so they could properly celebrate Olivia's success.

"I want to propose a toast." He stood up and raised his drink. "To my beautiful, incredibly smart fiancée who just got the job of her dreams. A job she more than deserves and which is the first step to a brilliant career. To Livvie."

"To Livvie." The others sang in chorus.

Fitz sat down and kissed Olivia.

"Speaking of fiancée," Abby smiled. "Your wedding is in 6 months and we still haven't talked about your bachelorette party."

"That's the only part of the wedding I'm not planning" Olivia shrugged. "You're the maid of honor, I assumed you were taking care of it."

"So you're giving me carte blanche?" Abby squealed, suddenly sitting up.

"Huh… Now I'm scared." Olivia chuckled. "Nothing dangerous, nothing illegal and nothing too crazy."

"Define crazy..." Abby smirked.

"Anything you're thinking of right now, babe." Harrison laughed, knowing Abby could go slightly overboard when it came to parties.

"No strippers." Fitz said.

"What?" Abby shrieked. "It's a bachelorette party, Fitz. Of course, there are going to be strippers."

"I don't want strange guys wiggling their junk in my fiancée's face." He pouted.

Abby rolled her eyes. "First of all, they're not 'strange guys', they're professionals. Second of all, it is a bachelorette party, not a tea party with the queen, so it's going to get a bit wild. And lastly, I know James and Harrison are planning your bachelor party with your lawyer friends. Are you telling me there aren't going to be strippers there?"

"That's different..." Fitz scoffed.

Abby, Olivia and Carrie laughed. "Oh, let's not even get into that debate, babe." Olivia squeezed his hand. "I'm all yours, before and after our wedding. If it makes you feel any better, I promise I won't enjoy it." She smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." He groaned and folded his arms on his chest.

After their drinks, they went to a restaurant for a bite and then, moved to a club. James knew someone who knew someone who had slept with someone who was the ex of someone and managed to get them into the club without waiting.

Once inside, Huck, Harrison and Fitz went to the bar to order drinks while the girls went dancing and James was already engrossed in a conversation with someone he just met and the girls could already see he wouldn't be going home alone tonight. James had the reputation of being able to find a gay guy in every party or bar or event.

The women danced together and soon attracted the eye of every single man on the dance floor. By the time Fitz, Harrison and Huck finished ordering their drinks they saw a few guys ready to move on their women. Huck stayed at the bar with their drinks while Fitz and Harrison went to protect their girls.

Before Fitz could reach Olivia, a man was wrapping his arm around her waist. Fitz saw red and even though Olivia pushed the man away, he couldn't help feeling jealous and angry. He moved behind Olivia and circled his arms around her waist, resting his chin in the crook of her neck.

"Hey, back off man." The guy slurred. "I was there first."

"No, dickface! I was here first." He growled while showing Olivia's ring on her finger. "Now, you back off."

Olivia ran her hand on his face soothingly and smiled up at him. Fitz instantly felt his anger disappearing and smiled back, leaning down to kiss her lips. Ignoring the scoff of the man who stomped away, Olivia turned in Fitz' arms so she could face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, grinding their midsections together to the beat of the song.

"Hey handsome." She whispered in his ear, biting his lobe and kissing his neck.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Livvie." He growled, poking her stomach with his erection.

"Am I now?" She smiled innocently. "I'm just dancing with my handsome fiancé. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" She ran her hands up and down his chest before pressing her chest against his, allowing him to feel her pert nipples through her camisole. She then turned in his arms again and pressed her ass against his groin, moving in circles to tease him.

Fitz growled and moved his hands to her hips to accompany her movements. He moved one hand on her breast and his mouth to her neck. "Nothing wrong with that." He growled in that deep baritone of his. "But as soon as we get home, your ass is mine, kitten. I don't care who else is in our home, I'm going to make you scream my name." Olivia's knees buckled and she felt her stomach muscles clenching at his words. She moaned and threw her head back against his shoulder. "You shouldn't have teased me, kitten. You awakened the beast."

"Fitz…" She moaned, feeling the moisture coating her underwear.

"Yes, kitten." He smiled against her neck.

"Take me home…" She breathed out.

"Hmm, someone sounds eager." He teased.

Olivia turned in his arms and grabbed his face, pulling it down to hers to kiss his lips hungrily. "Fitz, take me home right now and make me scream." She whispered when she pulled away. Fitz growled and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the exit. On their way out, they bumped into Huck who asked them where they were going.

"We're going home. Harrison and Abby have the keys. We'll see you guys later." He rushed out barely stopping.

Their apartment was close to the club so they decided to walk rather than wait for a cab. Fitz was practically running, pulling a giggling Olivia behind him. Three times on the way, they had to stop to kiss. Fitz would push Olivia against the wall or against a car and kiss her hungrily, leaving her panting and disoriented.

When they were a block away, Fitz decided Olivia wasn't going fast enough and had her jump on his back before sprinting all the way to their building. When they reached the door, he let go of Olivia so that she could open the door. That didn't stop him from groping her and kissing her neck, breaking her focus and causing her to spend an extra two minutes trying to put the key in the lock.

When the door finally opened, Fitz pushed them inside before picking Olivia by the waist, pushing her against the door and kissing her with enough strength to bruise her lips. Olivia's hands pulled on his curls and she moaned as she sucked on his tongue, wrapping her legs around his waist and squeezing him tightly and looking for friction against his jeans clad erection.

Fitz groaned and moved one hand under her skirt ripping off her underwear in one swift move. Olivia gasped but had no time to protest because as soon as her core was exposed, Fitz moved two fingers in her dripping core and caressed her clit with his thumb. Olivia moaned out and closed her eyes tightly, feeling warmth spreading throughout her whole body.

Fitz moved his wrist rapidly, wanting to see her coming undone in his arms. He circled his wrist and pressed his thumb tighter on her bundle of nerves, rubbing small circles on it, savoring the look of pure pleasure on her face. He felt her walls starting to clench around his fingers and her moans became louder.

"Fitz, Fitz, Fiiiiiiiitz… Oh my G- I… I'm comiiiiing! Aaaaaaah." Olivia dug her nails in his shoulders and wrapped her limbs tighter around him and pleasure coursed through her body. Fitz held her through her orgasm, watching her every move and expression.

When she finally stopped trembling in his arms, he kissed her again and carried her to their bedroom. Neither of them said a word, too busy undressing each other. When they were both naked, Olivia jumped up in his arms with enough strength to send him flying on the bed. She straddled him and kissed him, savoring the softness of his lips and the warmth of his tongue.

She pulled away, smiling at him and turned around on his lap until she was straddling him, facing his legs. She rested her hands on his legs, and raised her ass. Turning her head over her shoulder and biting her lip, she locked eyes with him as she lowered herself on his hard length.

Fitz looked at her mesmerized as she engulfed his shaft. He moved his trembling hands to her hips, letting his fingers caress her thighs before moving to her spine. He watched as she arched her back and moved up and down his shaft.

After a few minutes, he could tell she was tiring. He moved his hands to her hips and guided her moves. He sat up and pulled her against his chest, covering her breast with one of his hands and sucking on the soft skin of her neck. Olivia cried out and threw her arm behind her to hold his head in place.

Fitz moved both his hands back to her hips and stopped her. Olivia cried out and tried to move again but Fitz' grip on her hips was too strong.

"Fitz…" She whined.

"I'm going to make you scream now, kitten." He murmured against her ear, sending shivers running down her spine. Before she could respond, he started moving her up and down his dick, every time he moved her down, he would buck up his hips, causing her to cry out.

He increased his pace, ignoring the cramps in his arms and the sweat on his forehead. His only goal was to bring her to ecstasy and as loudly as possible. He felt her walls contracting around him and knew she was close.

"Are you going to come for me, kitten?" He asked huskily.

"Y-yes." She moaned.

"Are you going to scream for me?" He asked again.

This time she could only nod as he increased his pace. Together, they moved toward their peak, Fitz' hand moving between her legs to give her the extra push she needed to climax. As promised, she screamed his name at the top of her lungs and collapsed against him shakily while he jerked inside her a few times, riding his orgasm.

They fell back against the bed, exhausted. Olivia turned her head to the side to look at him and smiled, bringing her hand to his cheek before kissing him. They indulged in a lazy kiss for a while before a sound burst their bubble.

"You guys done?" Abby yelled from outside their room. "Some of us want to sleep."

They blushed, their eyes widening in shock before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"I think they heard you." Fitz chuckled.

"And whose fault is that?" Olivia cocked an accusatory brow at him as she moved to get more comfortable against him.

"I warned you." He shrugged his shoulders, a smug grin adorning his face as he wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey All! Welcome back. Thank you to all of you who reviewed and advised me on how to get to where I want faster. After this chapter, we'll get a few on the beginning of Olivia's time working and then I'll do a time jump to the wedding and their life afterward.<strong>

**So, as expected, Olivia got the job, no big surprise here. They saw their friends again and got their own celebration. Any thoughts?**

**Sorry for any mistakes, I didn't proofread.**

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.**

**Cheers, **

**C.**


	6. Chapter 6

Time flew by for the next few weeks and before Olivia knew it, it was her first day at Barks & Jameson. Ever since she learned she had gotten the job, she had spent her time preparing for it. She had been on a shopping spree with Abby who was in town for a few days to buy new work clothes and shoes. She had bought a few purses and a bag for her computer. She had read every article and website she could find about the firm to learn more about them. She was ready.

When she arrived in the lobby, she was sent to the fifth floor where she found a couple other people who looked her age, waiting on the couches. She sat down and waited. A few more people joined them. They looked at each other awkwardly, some trying to gauge up the competition, others trying to smile warmly.

A woman finally arrived and introduced herself as the HR point of contact for new hires. She guided them to a meeting room and started the briefing. They spent the morning being presented with their contracts, the various administrative items and a presentation of the firm. After that, the woman told them which team they would be assigned to and directed them to the lawyers and offices they should go to after lunch.

All the new hires went to lunch together to a nearby restaurant. Olivia quickly befriended one of the interns, a girl named Quinn Perkins who was going to work for Anthony Jameson. She was shy and a little awkward but the more Olivia spoke with her, the more she liked her. She was witty, seemed smart and hardworking and wasn't self-absorbed like some graduates from Ivy League colleges could be.

After lunch, she headed to the fifth floor to meet up with Andrea Gardner who was the partner she would be working for. She waited in the lobby and looked out the window at the sight of Boston.

"Olivia?" A voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Yes. It's me." She smiled as she turned back to see a beautiful, very elegant woman in her fifties.

"Hi, I'm Andrea Gardner but you can call me Andrea. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Olivia answered, shaking her hand. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to be working here."

"I'm glad you feel that way although it might change after a few weeks working for me. I expect a lot of my associates."

"It's not a problem, Ms. Gardner… Andrea. I'm willing to go the extra mile in my work." She answered confidently.

"Good to know." Andrea smiled. "Come on, let me show you to your office."

_Office? _Olivia thought. _I get my own office? That's strange… I've never heard of a first year associate getting their own office._

She followed Andrea to a fairly large office with a huge window and a great view of Boston. There was a desk in the middle of the room with two chairs to receive visitors and a couch on the side next to an empty bookcase.

"There you go." Andrea smiled. "You're free to decorate how you see fit, with certain limitations for good taste of course and the Utilities department will provide you with boxes and miscellaneous items you might need like notepads, pens and such."

"I… Wow… It's… It's amazing." Olivia stammered as she looked around her. "I didn't know… Didn't think I would…"

"The door over there leads to my office. I need to be able to find you at all time so I always keep my associates close by." Andrea smiled, amused at Olivia's reaction.

Olivia nodded, understanding the explanation and smiled, thanking her profusely as a young man entered the room.

"This is Alex Pratt, my personal assistant." Andrea introduced him. "Alex this is Olivia. You two should exchange numbers. Olivia, if you ever need anything from me but can't find me, you can ask Alex."

"Nice to meet you." Olivia smiled, holding out her hand.

"Same." Alex replied with a smile, shaking her hand.

"Alright, Olivia." Andrea said as she started walking out of the office. "I need to go to a meeting. Alex will stay with you today and help you get settled in. I'll see you tomorrow morning at 8.30."

"Thank you very much." Olivia repeated.

Once Andrea was gone, Alex took Olivia for a tour of the building. He showed her all the places she would need to know on her floor or the others and accompanied her to the security and utilities departments to get everything she needed. Then, he helped her set up her computer and gave her a rundown of how to access files and databases.

By the end of the day, Olivia felt like her head could explode but she was incredibly grateful to Alex for helping her get settled in. She decided to call Fitz from her office phone.

"Hello?" He picked up on the third ring, his voice showing he didn't know it was her.

"Good afternoon, this is Olivia Pope from Barks & Jameson, I would like to talk with Mr. Grant, please." She tried to use the most professional voice she could muster but couldn't disguise her smile.

Fitz laughed on the other end. "Hey, baby." He replied. "I'm guessing you finally have your desk. How are things?"

"Oh, not only am I settled at my desk but I am settled in my office."

"You have your own office?" Fitz asked impressed.

"Yep. Apparently, the partner I'm working for prefers to have her associates close by so I'm in the office right next to hers."

"That's amazing. How is she?"

"She seems really nice, although I haven't seen her that much. I spent the morning with HR and this afternoon, Alex showed me around."

"Alex?" Fitz asked, his voice doing nothing to conceal the first hints of jealousy.

"Relax, Fitz." Olivia smiled. "He already showed me pictures of his boyfriend. It's the Dan situation all over again."

"I wasn't worried." He answered unconvincingly.

"Yeah, right." Olivia smiled. "Anywho, I'm almost done here. Do you want me to pick up something for dinner tonight?"

"Hmm, I think we have enough for pastas and a salad. I still have a few things to work on here but I should be home by 8."

"Perfect, I'll get dinner ready. See you soon. I love you."

"I love you too, Ms. Pope from Barks & Jameson." Fitz teased.

Olivia smiled and hung up. She gathered her things and popped by Alex' desk to check if it was okay to go home. He assured her she could go.

XXX

A few weeks later, Olivia was in her office, reviewing documents for Andrea when there was a knock on her door.

"Hello there! I'm Anthony Jameson." The man walked to her desk.

"Oh, of course." She smiled as she stood up to shake his hand. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Olivia Pope."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Pope. I just wanted to introduce myself personally and see how you were settling in."

"Everything is going great." Olivia beamed. "The cases are interresting and I'm learning every day."

"Good good." Jameson rubbed his hands together. "I also wanted to see if you were coming to the office Christmas party?"

"Yes, I am. I'm pretty excited."

"Good. You should bring Fitz along."

"Fitz?" Olivia asked confused. How did he know about Fitz? She was sure she never mentioned him at the office and she only just met Mr. Jameson.

"Yes, your fiancé, Fitzgerald Grant." He chuckled. "You remember him, right?"

"Hmm, yeah, of course." She chuckled nervously. "I'll ask him."

"Great. Now, why don't you go home? It's Friday, everybody's left already."

"I will, thank you Sir."

"Have a good weekend, Ms. Pope. Give my best to Fitz." And with that, he left, leaving Olivia more confused than anything else. She wrapped up her things, wondering what she had missed, how he knew about her and Fitz without meeting her.

The whole way home, Olivia thought intently about her exchange with Jameson. He knew Fitz personally. Why hadn't Fitz mentioned it? Was he hiding it from her? But why? And then it hit her, could it be that he had something to do with her getting her job? As soon as the thought popped into her head, she was unable to get rid of it. The gnawing feeling at the pit of her stomach stayed with her the rest of the trip home.

When she arrived home, Olivia sat on the bed, holding her phone in her hand, staring at it intently, pondering whether or not to call Fitz and ask him directly. Finally, she dialed his number.

"Hey babe! What's up?" Fitz answered happily.

"Hmm, not much, I just... I... Do you know Anthony Jameson?" She asked nervously. She figured it was best to just rip off the band aid.

"Yeah sure. He used to work with my father. Why?"

"Did you see him recently?"

"I… Huh… I think I bumped into him a few months ago, why?"

"Nothing. I gotta go." Olivia hung up and looked at her phone. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute piecing the pieces of the puzzle together. Could it be true? Fitz knew Anthony Jameson...

_He did this. She thought. He got me this interview and this job. None of it was me... How could he do this? I wanted to make it on my own, he knew that. How could he go behind my back and do this? He didn't think I was good enough... He knew I wouldn't get a job so he got a job for me._

Now that she thought about it, the whole thing seemed fishy... She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it before. He must have thought she was pretty stupid and truthfully, she felt stupid right now.

For starters, she couldn't get a job at any of the law firms she applied to and then suddenly, the biggest law firm of Boston calls her back. That should have been clue number one.

Then, she's supposed to have an interview with a random HR person and out of nowhere, one of the two name partners comes personally to interview her. Or rather to chat with her because that meeting didn't feel like an interview. That was clue number 2.

Then when she gets hired, she gets her own office. What first year associate gets their own office on their first day? That was clue number 3.

And then, there were the cases... Instead of getting the tedious tasks, she was offered a seat first row to watch big cases and give a meaningful contribution. That was clue number 4.

The clues were all there, she was just too naive and eager to see them.

Olivia felt dizzy and nauseous. Fitz didn't have enough faith in her to let her get a job on her own. She decided she couldn't stay at the apartment. She couldn't talk to him right now, she wanted to kill him. He hurt her and she needed to get away from him. As she threw clothes haphazardly in her bag, Olivia felt herself getting angrier and angrier. At herself first, and also at Fitz for going behind her back and deceiving her.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She spat as she emptied bits of her closet.

"Liv?" Fitz called from the door. She spun around and found him looking at her wearily, like a wild animal. "What's going on?" He asked softly.

"What's going on?" She screamed. "You dare ask what's going on? What's going on is you made a complete fool out of me! What's going on is I'm an idiot for not seeing it. What's going on is I stupidly trusted you and you broke my trust. That's what's going on!"

She saw the pain flashing on his face but she was too angry to care. He brought this on to himself.

"Liv, I have no idea what you're talking about." He tried to placate her. "Please talk to me. Why are you packing your bags?"

"I'm leaving." She spat as she zipped her bag.

"You're leaving?" He asked panicked. "Why? Where? No, you can't. We need to talk. I have no idea what I've done but I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Liv, you have to believe me. I'm sorry, please. Don't leave me." His voice was breaking from the pain and anguish he was feeling.

"I'm too angry to talk." She replied, still trying her best to ignore the pain on his face. "I'll sleep somewhere else." She moved past him towards the door of the apartment.

"Liv, please." Fitz followed her to the door, tears streaming down his face. He had no idea what he had done but the sight of her leaving was too much to take, he could feel his heart breaking. "You know I would never hurt you, baby. Please, don't go, let me fix this." He moved one hand toward her and she flinched away. His hand dropped, his mind going blank. She had never pulled away from him...

"I know you would never hurt me voluntarily but somehow, you did. I need space. I'll see you later."

She turned away from him before her resolve could weaken completely and walked away. She didn't see Fitz falling on his knees and breaking down completely. She wiped her own tears and made her way to Huck's apartment.

XXX

"Olivia? What are you doing here?" Huck asked as he opened his door and found Olivia standing there with a tear stained face.

"I… I need a place to stay. Can I stay with you for a few days?"

"Huh… Sure, come on in. But what about Fitz? Is he okay? What happened?"

"I really don't want to talk about it right now, can we talk about it later?" She asked weakly.

Huck looked intently at her for a few minutes, seemingly looking for clues but decided not to push the subject.

"Okay, come on, let's get you settled." He guided her to the guest bedroom/office and helped her make the bed. "Have you had dinner? Do you need me to make something?"

"I'm not hungry. I'm just going to stay here if that's okay." She answered as she climbed on the bed.

"Okay. If you need anything you just come to me, okay?"

She smiled gratefully at him and he left the room.

The moment he closed the door behind him, Olivia broke down. She curled into a ball, buried her face in the pillow and cried her eyes out. She had never fought with Fitz like that, she had never been so angry at him. Whenever they had fights, she knew they would get through it eventually but this time, she wasn't so sure. Fitz broke her trust and she didn't know if it was something she would ever recover from.

She felt so empty and tired. She wanted Fitz' arms around her she wanted his breath against her neck, she wanted his reassuring words in her ear, she wanted to run her fingers through his curls. That's what gave her solace whenever something was wrong in her life. But what could she do when he was what was wrong in her life?

She wrapped the covers around her without even bothering to change into her pajamas and fell into a restless sleep, ignoring her constantly buzzing phone.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, please don't hate me!<strong>

**First of all, I apologize for the delay, I'm not getting any better.**

**Second of all, that was rough. I don't think I've ever written Olitz at such a low point… But if you've read my stories, you know Olitz is endgame so fear not, it will get better. The next chapter is partially written and should be posted if not tomorrow, then for sure tuesday. You'll get to see more of Fitz' POV in that one.**

**So, I'm eager to know your thoughts. Do you think Fitz did wrong? Do you think Liv overreacted? How will they get through this? Let me know what you think.**

**Oh and a very happy new year to all of you wonderful readers! I hope 2015 brings you nothing but the best!**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

**Cheers,**

**C.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Trust

"Hello. You've reached Olivia Pope's cellphone. I'm not here at the moment but-"

Fitz hung up before he could hear the end of her voicemail for the thousandth time that night. He had been calling nonstop ever since she left but for the last few hours, he would get directly to voicemail. He guessed she either turned off her phone or the battery died. Neither option made him feel any better.

He was sitting on the floor of their living room, still in his work clothes. He hadn't showered or eaten or slept since she left. He had just tried calling her, left her voicemails and tried to figure out what he did wrong. It was now 3am and he still had no idea what he did wrong.

Everything was fine when they left for work this morning. They had breakfast together and discussed their plans for the weekend then left. He sent her a text around 12 to see if they could meet for lunch like they often did on Fridays but she was busy. And then, she called him to ask him about Tony Jameson. She did sound weird on the phone which is why he rushed home and found her packing her bags and screaming.

Fitz ran his hands through his hair exasperatedly. He caught his own reflection in the TV and barely recognized himself. His eyes were red and puffy, his hair was all over the place and his jaw was clenched so hard it started to hurt. He tried calling Olivia again but was sent to voicemail. He threw his phone against the wall and screamed out frustrated and angry. He collapsed on the floor and closed his eyes, trying to rid his mind of the memory of her pained and angry face.

He woke up 3 hours later. His whole body was sore, his head was banging and the memories of their fight immediately came back to him. After unsuccessfully trying to reach Olivia again, he stood up slowly and walked to the bathroom. He undressed almost robotically and walked under the shower stream.

Wanting to clear his thoughts, he set it up to the coldest setting. The sting of the water caused him to gasp but it also helped clear his thoughts. He stayed under the stream for as long as he could before finally walking out and drying himself up.

He stood in the middle of their closet that still showed the signs of Olivia's anger and simply looked around. The more he thought about it, the more he believed that her outburst had something to do with her phone call about Jameson. He racked his rain, trying to figure out what it was about.

He had known Tony Jameson for years as he was a business partner of his father. Even though he didn't know him very well, he had realized early on that he wasn't anything like Big Gerry. When he came to their home, he was always respectful of his mother and the staff, he talked to Lisa and him like adults and wasn't afraid to argue with Gerry.

So Fitz wondered what could have happened that made Olivia so upset. He was pretty sure Tony wouldn't do anything inappropriate so maybe it had to do with their relationship. Fitz hadn't told Liv that he knew Jameson because he didn't feel it was relevant. They hadn't seen each other in years and even though they respected each other they didn't have much of a relationship.

Tired of the wild speculations, he decided he needed to take action. He got dressed quickly and started calling Olivia's friends to find out where she was staying. He didn't care that they would ask questions, all he cared about was finding her.

His first call was to Carrie but she hadn't heard from Olivia. The next logical call was Huck.

"Yes." Huck gruffly answered his phone.

"Huck, it's Fitz. Is Olivia with you?"

The line was silent for a few seconds before he answered. "What happened?"

"I wish I knew. Is she with you?" Fitz asked again.

"What did you do to her?" Huck asked.

Fitz inhaled deeply, not wanting to snap at Huck. He knew he had always been really protective of Olivia, he had proved it over the years so Fitz knew he was only looking out for her. But that didn't mean he appreciated being questioned when he felt he had done nothing wrong.

"I didn't do anything that I know of. She was upset at me for something but didn't want to talk about it and she left the apartment. I just want to talk to her to understand. If I did something wrong, believe me, I will be the first one to ask you to kick my ass but right now I just need to talk to her. So please, answer me. Is she with you?" He asked again, trying hard not to yell.

"Yeah, she arrived yesterday and didn't leave her room since. She didn't talk to me either."

"Thanks." Fitz breathed a sigh of relief. At least he knew she was safe. "I'm on my way. I'll be at your place in 20." He hung up the phone, picked up his keys and rushed outside.

XXX

When he arrived at Huck's apartment, Huck wordlessly opened the door and showed him where to find Liv. He opened the door and the sight of her broke his heart all over again. She was curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed, wrapped up in the covers. Only her face peaked out of the sheets and her make-up was smeared all over her cheeks. She looked small and tired.

He walked toward the bed and the sound of the wood creaking woke her up. She blinked a few times and looked at him, it didn't take long before her expression turned to animosity.

"What are you doing here?" She spat.

Fitz felt himself becoming angry. She might be upset but he had no idea why and he wasn't going to apologize for something he didn't know. He had spent the night worrying about her and hadn't taken time to be angry at her for how she left him. But now that she was in front of him, he felt himself getting rightfully angry. She needed to stop acting like a child and talk to him.

He took a deep breath. "I'm here to talk to you and find out if and what I did wrong then I'm going to try to fix it.

"I'm still not ready to talk to you." She answered curtly before turning her body the other way.

Fitz clenched his fists a few times and counted to ten in his head. "Well, that's too bad." He said as he walked to the bed and pulled the covers off her body, ignoring her cries of indignation. "Because I'm not leaving until you do. Pouting and shutting me out is not the answer to anything, so put on your big girl panties and talk to me." He boomed.

"YOU BETRAYED ME!" She screamed out, causing him to take a step back, shocked. "You went behind my back and you betrayed my trust. You knew I wanted to make it on my own, you knew how important it was to me and you ignored it. You just had to be the knight in shining armor, didn't you? You had to save the poor little girl who can't make it on her own." She was crying again, heavy tears falling down her face as she was kneeling up on the bed screaming at him. The tears were a mix of anger, hurt and frustration.

"What are you talking about?" Fitz frowned. "You're not making any sense." He tried to walk up to her again but she resumed shouting.

"Anthony fucking Jameson!" She exclaimed. "That's what I'm talking about. He's name partner at the law firm and you just _happen_ to know him. And just like that, I _happened_ to get an interview with the biggest law firm in Boston, and I _happened_ to get interviewed by a name partner and I _happened_ to get an office my first year, and I _happened_ to get interesting cases. All of this _just happened_.

I can't believe I didn't see it sooner, it was so obvious. You went behind my back when you knew how important it was for me to make it on my own, without my father, without you. You ignored that and made some kind of deal. You pushed it so that I would get the best treatment and everything I have now is just fake. I don't deserve any of it, I didn't earn any of it. And now, I feel like a fraud, and it's all your fault. I HATE YOU!" She screamed.

Fitz, unable to take it anymore, walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. She fought him, kicking his chest and arms, trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp but he didn't let her. He held her tighter and allowed her to cry, scream and kick all she wanted. When she was all tired out, he loosened his grasp and she pushed him away. She sat in the middle of the bed and brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and staring ahead.

Fitz grabbed the desk chair and brought it next to the bed, sitting down in Olivia's line of vision. He ran his hands over his face a few times not knowing where to start.

"I do know Tony Jameson. He was a business partner of my father's and I met him a few times over the years. I didn't mention I knew him to you because I didn't feel it was relevant. I don't know him that well and I had nothing to do with you getting that job."

"Yeah, right." Olivia scoffed, still looking over his shoulder. "You admitted you saw him again a few weeks ago. I'm willing to bet it was only days before I got the first call."

"I did see him again. A few weeks ago, I went out with a few friends from work and I bumped into him. We talked about a lot of things, he asked me about my parents and Lisa and he asked about me. Of course, you came up because you're the most important person in my life and he asked me about you. And you know me," Fitz smiled. "I bragged about you. I told him you just graduated top of your class from Harvard and that you were looking for a job. I told him you were extraordinary but I didn't mention anything about working for them. It didn't even cross my mind. I just told him what I tell everyone who asks about you because I am incredibly proud of you. I don't think I even gave him your last name…"

Olivia finally made eye contact with him but he could see she still didn't believe him.

"Liv, I don't know how to prove to you that I didn't get you this interview or had anything to do with you getting there. It's all on you, Livvie. I don't know why you can't see how amazing you are, I don't know why you can't believe you would make it on your own. I… It baffles me how little you think of yourself because I see how amazing you are.

Baby, I promise you I never asked Tony anything. I had nothing to do with you getting the interview or the job or the office. If you don't believe me, you can ask him but I promise you I would never betray you like that.

You're right I knew how important it was for you to make it on your own. And no matter how badly I wanted to recommend you everywhere you applied to or pull strings to get you the jobs you deserved, I never did because I knew that's not what you wanted. And I also knew you would make it perfectly without me. And you did. Everything you have today is on you. I had nothing to do with it.

So, maybe what I said caused him to take a closer look at your resume but that's all it did. The extent of my influence is that instead of going through 500 resumes before finding yours, they found it earlier. But the fact that they liked what they saw, the fact that Tobias Barks interviewed you, the fact that you got assigned to a great lawyer and have interesting cases, it is all a result of your years of hard work.

I didn't pull any strings to get you where you are."

"You didn't?" Olivia asked, her voice weak and broken.

"I didn't." He confirmed.

Olivia buried her face in her hands and fresh tears fell down. Fitz immediately joined her on the bed and hugged her to him. This time, she didn't fight him and buried her face in his neck.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed out. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I accused you of betraying me and I yelled at you and I hurt you and, oh God, I said I hated you. I'm so sorry. I don't hate you. I love you so much. I love you, Fitz. I was horrible to you and you still came for me. I'm sorry…"

"Shhh…" Fitz soothed as he rocked. She was crying hysterically in his arms and he was trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Livvie. It's okay."

"No, it's not." She pulled away from him and wiped her tears. "How can you forgive me? I left you and screamed at you and accused you. How can you be okay with that?"

"Because I love you, you idiot." He chuckled.

"But I…"

"No buts." He interrupted. "Come on, let's go home. I'm sure Huck wants his place back." He said as he picked up her bag and walked to the door. She nodded and followed him out.

XXX

They rode home in silence. Olivia still felt like crap for treating Fitz the way she did and didn't know what to say to him. Fitz was just happy to have Liv back with him and even though he hurt slightly from her not trusting him, he didn't want to think about it too much right now.

When they reached their apartment, Fitz walked them to the kitchen. "Have you eaten since yesterday?" He asked.

She shook her head no so he grabbed a pizza and reheated it for them to eat. They ate in silence, occasionally exchanging glances and small smiles between bites. When they were done, Fitz took Olivia's hand and guided her to the bathroom where he drew a bath for her.

"I took a shower this morning but you look like you need a long relaxing bath. Take your time, I'll see you after."

"You're not joining me?" She asked shyly. She couldn't help but feel like he was rejecting her.

Fitz smiled and walked to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his hands on her ass. "As much as I'd like that, you need to relax quietly. Plus, I have something else in mind and I need to prepare for it." He kissed her forehead and pulled away with a smirk before leaving her.

After a relaxing 30 minutes bath, Olivia took her time freshening up. She applied lotion to her body, brushed her teeth, combed her hair and wrapped herself in one of their fluffy white robes before opening the door to their bedroom.

The sight before her caused her heartbeat to increase wildly. The lights were turned off but there were dozens of lit candles placed around the room. Fitz was sitting on the bed with his shirt off and he was playing with the scarf between his fingers. When he saw her entering the room, he stood up and walked towards her. Olivia felt her knees weakening and her core clenching at the simple sight of his trademark walk and his bare chest.

When he reached her, he stopped only a few inches away and looked down at her with his panty dropping grin. "You've been a bad little kitten…" He whispered as he leaned down to let his lips caress her ear. "I think you need a lesson."

Olivia's breath hitched and she involuntarily leaned into him, tilting up her face so their lips could get closer. "A… A lesson?" She stammered.

"Hmm hmm…" He nodded. "A lesson in not running away and a lesson in trust." He continued, his low, husky baritone making her insides tingle. "And I've got just the tool to teach you both lessons at once. Strip."

"Wh-what?" She blinked at him.

"Your robe, take it off. I want to see you." Olivia wordlessly complied, her eyes fixated on his face, completely enthralled by him. He had his little lopsided grin and his eyes followed the curves of her body as they were exposed to him. Olivia felt herself getting hot and bothered simply by him looking at her. He had such a powerful effect on her that a simple stare was enough to make her want to crawl out of her skin with desire.

When her robe dropped to the floor, Fitz took a final step to completely close the space between them. He grabbed her wrists in his hands gently and brought them behind her back, pulling her flush against him. He moved his lips an inch from hers and tied her hands together behind her back with the scarf.

Olivia looked up at him, completely aroused. She could feel his erect shaft beneath his jeans and her skin was on fire everywhere they were connected.

"Now, you can't run away and you're going to have to trust that I'll take care of you." Fitz whispered against her lips.

Olivia opened her mouth to answer but he didn't give her the time. He crushed his lips against hers and pushed her until her back hit the wall. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, making her moan and his hands roamed her body, touching everywhere he could reach.

Finally, his hands landed on her face and he pulled away. He almost laughed when she tried to reconnect their lips, moaning out her disapproval. He watched her flushed cheeks and her swollen lips and waited until she opened her desire-filled eyes. He smirked again and kissed his way down her body.

Using his hands to hold her steady against the wall, he slowly kissed her neck, her collarbone, her breasts, her navel skipping the part where she wanted him most to attack her inner thighs. He licked, bit and nipped the soft flesh there until her felt her tremble against him.

"Fitz… Please…" She begged, her voice hoarse with desire.

"Patience, kitten." He hummed. "_Trust_ me… I'll take care of you."

He resumed his torture on her thighs, getting closer and closer to her apex without ever touching it. He felt Olivia fighting against her restraints and it only aroused him more to have her at his mercy like this. When he saw her shivering and felt her moving around, trying to bring her core to his mouth, he couldn't fight it anymore. He attached his mouth to her bundle of nerves and sucked like a starved man.

The moment his warm mouth touched her clit, Olivia exploded in a loud scream. He moved his hand to her ass to hold her upright and continued his assaults until he felt her coming a second time. When she was done riding off her orgasm, he moved two fingers inside her, curling them upwards and stroking her walls consciously.

"AAAAAAH… F-Fitz…" She mewled. "Please…" She didn't even know what she was asking for. More, less, stop, continue… She was lost in the sensations. He had her worked up so much, she couldn't see straight, much less think straight. When his fingers touched her spot, she exploded again and he was right there, drinking all her juices.

She collapsed against him and he caught her just in time. He brought her to the bed and laid her down on her stomach. He untied her wrists and sitated her on her hands and knees. He quickly rid himself of the rest of his clothes and joined her on the bed kneeling behind her. He brought his dick to rub against her folds and she flinched and tried to move away from him.

Fitz gripped her hips and brought her back to him. He bent over her, his chest flush against her sweaty back and brought his mouth to her ear, biting the lobe. "Tsk tsk, kitten. Where do you think you're going? I told you there would be no running away. Do I need to tie you up again?" He moved his shaft between her swollen fold, deliberately hitting her bundle of nerves.

"Fitz…" She whispered, her arms giving up under her weight and her face burying in the pillow.

Fitz kept his position above her, relishing the close contact and slowly moved inside her. With every inch entering her, he could feel her walls clamping around him, bringing him dangerously close to the edge. He closed his eyes to focus on not coming too soon and when he felt he had regained control, he started moving.

He inhaled the sweet smell of her hair and moved his hips slowly and purposefully. Her small moans and whimpers spurred him on and before he realized it, he found himself increasing his speed until he was practically pistonning into her.

Olivia's moans became louder and he kept his rhythm, moving his hands to her breasts and playing with her nipples until he felt them becoming harder. He pulled on them and twisted them gently before switching to squeezing her whole breasts in his hands and fondling them. Meanwhile, he kept thrusting into her and his mouth attacked her neck.

Olivia finally found the strength to turn her face and sought out his lips. He was only too happy to oblige her and their tongues met and danced while they kept moving. Olivia bit his lower lip causing him to growl and suck on her tongue harder. She gasped and he took the opportunity to focus on her lips.

They were so focused on devouring each other's mouth that their orgasms took them by surprise. They moaned and grunted, never allowing their lips to disconnect as the pleasure course through their bodies.

They rode their orgasm together before Fitz collapsed on his side and moved to his back, bringing Olivia to his side and wrapping the covers around them. Fitz kissed every inch of her face before letting her rest her head over his heart. She kissed his chest a few times and used her fingers to trace evry inch of his muscular torso.

"Liv?" Fitz called after a few minutes as he kept running his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp.

"Yeah?" She answered from her spot on his chest, barely opening her eyes.

"Can we talk?" He asked seriously.

Olivia pulled away from his chest and sat up slightly to look at him. "About…" She trailed off knowing he was talking about their fight.

"Yeah… There are a few things I want to get off my chest. I know I said it was okay and mostly I am but I was really hurt when you left and I need to talk it out rather than keep those feelings bottled up."

"You're right." Olivia nodded as she wrapped the sheet around her naked body. Fitz sat up facing her and grabbed her hand in his.

"First of all, I need you to know I'm not trying to make you feel bad but these things need to be said." Olivia nodded at him to continue.

"When you left the apartment yesterday, it broke my heart. I had never felt so much pain in my life. Seeing you leaving our place so mad at me, not knowing why or if you would ever come back it…" His voice broke slightly but he forced himself to continue. "It's something I never want to have to go through ever again."

"I'm sorry Fitz, I know it was wrong, it was childish and immature. No matter how upset I was, I should never have left, it was cruel and I can't promise we won't ever fight again but I promise I'll never leave you like that. If you did that to me, it would kill me and I didn't think about how it would make you feel. I was blinded by hurt and I didn't stop to consider your feelings. I can't tell you how sorry I am but I can promise you it will never ever happen again." She squeezed his hands for emphasis and he gave her a small smile.

"Thank you, I believe you." He said softly. "Now there is another problem we need to talk about and this fight was quite representative of it. You were angry at me for something and rather than talking about it or asking me for my side of things, you left. The problem isn't just that you left, it's that you shut me out and didn't communicate with me.

We're going to get married, Liv, we need to be able to communicate like grown-ups. We love each other so much but along the way there are going to be obstacles and fights and we're going to face problems much bigger than this one. But you can't just be mad at me without telling me why. I can do a lot of things but I can't fix a problem I know nothing about. You need to talk to me more and explain when I don't get things.

Take today for example, if you had just talked to me yesterday and told me what you told me today then this whole thing could have been just a 5 minutes fight. Instead, you closed off and it turned into a whole night of worry and hurt for the both of us. Can you see how it all blew out of proportions?"

"I know." She lowered her head in shame. "I was wrong. I was just so hurt when I thought you could do something like that."

"And that's another problem." Fitz said softly as he tilted her chin up and wiped her silent tears tenderly. "I don't understand why you have such a low opinion of yourself. When you said I didn't trust you enough to think you could make it on your own, you couldn't have been more wrong. I know you, I've seen you grow up these past years and turn into the beautiful strong woman I love so much. I know you can do anything you set your mind to, I think the world of you. Sounds to me like the problem is what you think of yourself…"

"I don't… It's not… I don't think it has anything to do… I think you're reading too much into it. I overreacted and I didn't think enough but that doesn't mean I have a low opinion of myself."

"I think you do, or you wouldn't have been hurt so much by the idea that I could have helped."

"I… I don't know… I…" Olivia stopped in the middle of her sentence and pondered what he was saying. She stayed silent for a few minutes, her eyes moving from his waiting face to the window and back to him. "Maybe you're right." She finally said. "I just… I'm tired. Can we take a nap?"

It wasn't lost on Fitz that she was evading the problem but he decided to let it go, for now. She looked tired and he wasn't feeling a 100% either. "Sure. Come here." He wrapped her up in his arms tightly and she wrapped her limbs around him.

"I really am sorry for hurting you Fitz..." She whispered against his neck. "The look on your face when I told you I was leaving was... It's been haunting me since yesterday. I never want to cause you pain like that ever again. I promise I'll be better at talking.

You have always been so amazing to me, so supportive and loving. You never ask for anything yet you are always here for me. You're my rock." She raised up her head to lock eyes with him. "You always take care of me and now it's my turn, I will make it my goal to never see that look on your face again, not because of me, not because of anyone."

"If you don't leave me again, you won't ever have to see it again." He murmured, his voice choked up by emotion.

"Good." She smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." He leaned down to kiss her lips tenderly and they snuggled up, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello dearest readers! Your reviews last chapter absolutely cracked me up! Thank you so much! I'm sorry I had to put you all through that but I needed to shake things up a bit. A certain writer put this idea in my head and I've been unable to get it out.<strong>

**Most of you were upset at Olivia for leaving him like that and while I agree, she is still young and makes mistakes. She won't make that particular mistake again.**

**A lot of you correctly pointed out that there was no way of knowing if Fitz actually did something wrong and as you can see now he didn't. I know I tend to write Fitz as the perfect one but I just can't help it, he's my unicorn.**

**So they talked it out and made up. They are back to happy Olitz, like I promised. What did you think of their talk? Of their making up? Of Liv's answers?**

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.**

**Cheers,**

**C.**


	8. Chapter 8 - The road to recovery

The rest of the weekend was spent going out and trying to put the whole ordeal behind them. But no matter how many times Fitz repeated he was okay, Olivia could feel he was holding back. He wasn't touching her every chance he got, his random kisses were more robotic than spontaneous, and he would space out when she talked to him. Olivia realized her behavior had broken something between them and she needed to fix it and fix it soon.

When she got back to work on Monday, she starting coming up with a plan to fix things. The first step of her plan was to take Fitz away for a weekend, a whole weekend where she would take care of him for a change. She booked hotels and restaurants and activities she knew he would enjoy even if they weren't her favorite. This weekend needed to be about him first and foremost.

The first step was easy, the second wouldn't. The second step implied a lot of talking and a lot of introspection. She needed to really think about what he told her and not just brush it off. She obviously had problems and she needed to face them head on if she wanted to have a future with Fitz.

There was also the matter of apologizing. When she had apologized at Huck's place, he had told her it was okay without really listening to her apology. She needed to do it again. She needed to tell him everything she was sorry for and show him she understood everything she had done wrong. It would be hard, it would be uncomfortable but it needed to be done.

Fitz had always been there for her, from the beginning of their relationship to their latest fight, he had shown up for her, supported her, made time for her. For 8 years he had been her rock and never asked for anything in return. Olivia knew how lucky she was he had chosen her, how much he loved her, how nice and perfect he was to her but the years with her father had caused some damage.

Even after all these years, she still wasn't very close to her father. They had a cordial relationship and they made sure to call each other regularly but they would never have a perfect relationship. The pain of being abandoned by him would never really go away. And Eli wasn't making things any easier by not accepting her relationship with Fitz. He always called him Mr. Grant, a not so subtle way of reminding him he used to be her teacher and when Olivia came to visit, he practically dismissed every conversation about Fitz.

But her father wasn't the problem, Olivia had decided long ago that Fitz would always come first if she had to choose between both relationships. No, the problem was with her. Even though her father might have had an impact on her behavior today, she was a grown up and should be able to behave like one.

The rest of the week, Olivia and Fitz barely saw each other. Fitz buried himself in his work and Olivia spent her evenings setting up their weekend together, wanting it to be perfect. On Friday morning, they were having breakfast together when she announced her plans.

"I'm taking you away this weekend." She announced.

"You're what?" Fitz spit his coffee.

"I'm taking you away for the weekend. I've got everything planned and I'll pack up your bags tonight. I've rented us a car and we're leaving around 7 tonight."

"Leaving? To where? Why? How?" Fitz stared at her with wide eyes.

"We're going to Cape Cod for the weekend. Because there are some things I need to make up for. I need to tell you some things and I wanted to do something nice for you. So we're leaving tonight." She tried to act like it was no big deal but she was inwardly extremely nervous about how he would react.

"Tell me some things?" Fitz frowned.

"Nothing bad." She reassured him. "It's just… After what happened last week, I feel I need to make amends and there are things you said that I need to explain."

"Olivia, I told you it was okay. There's no need to bring it up again."

"I know what you said but I also know how it's been between us ever since and some things need to be fixed. I need to fix things. Please, I'm doing this for me too. Please, let me do this." She pleaded with him.

Fitz stared at her for a few moments. "Alright, I trust you." He simply said.

"I know and I love you for that." She smiled warmly at him.

He smiled back and stood up. "Alright, I've gotta go to work, so what do you need me to do?"

"Nothing." She smiled proudly. "Just get your sweet ass at home before 7pm."

"I can do that." He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her lips. Olivia grabbed his face and deepened the kiss before pulling away.

Fitz, in a haze from the intensity of their kiss, blinked a few times and cleared his throat. "Hmm… Alright then… I… I'll see you tonight." He stammered before leaving for work.

XXX

Olivia left work around 4 to have enough time to set up everything. She stopped by the car renting place to pick up their car and drove home to pack up their bags. It took her a good 2 hours to be done with it because she couldn't decide what clothes to choose. She ended up putting way too many clothes in the bag but decided it was better than to not have enough.

She was just finishing up when she heard the front door of the apartment opening.

"Liv?" Fitz called.

"In the bedroom." She called back.

"Hi." He smiled from the doorframe.

"Hi." She smiled back, walking up to him to kiss him.

"You think we'll have enough for two days?" He chuckled, looking at the two huge bags on the bed.

"Shut up." She laughed, slapping his arm. "Better safe than sorry. Do you want to take a shower before we leave?"

"Yeah, I'll be quick." He answered as he took off his jacket and shoes.

"Okay, I'll pack us a snack for the road and wait for you in the living room."

After Fitz' shower, they climbed in the car and started the 90min drive to Barnstable. Olivia drove, wanting Fitz to have nothing to do but relax in this weekend. He spent the whole trip asking her about the plans.

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me anything?"

"Nope. It's a surprise." She smiled.

"Will there be any girly things like a mani pedi or something?" He whined.

"You love doing mani pedis with me." She laughed, remembering one summer when he had begged her to do his nails. "But no, it will be things _you_ like. But I don't want to ruin the surprise so stop asking."

"You're no fun." He pouted, slumping down in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. He poked out his bottom lip and looked at her with puppy eyes, hoping to soften her up.

"It's not going to work, Grant." She laughed. "I'm immune to your charm."

"I don't think you are." He smiled mischievously before running his hand up and down her thigh, getting dangerously close to the apex between her thighs. Olivia shivered in response and tried her hardest to focus on the road.

"Stop it." She said in the sternest voice she could muster. "We're going to have an accident."

"Tell me what are the plans and I'll stop." He asked, his low baritone caressing her ear as his hands started playing with the buttons of her jeans.

"Stop it." She swatted his hand away. "I want it to be a surprise. Please." She pleaded.

"Fine." He pouted, keeping his hands to himself.

There was a little traffic on the road so it was already 9pm when they finally arrived at their hotel. Olivia told Fitz to wait while she got the key to their room. Once they were signed in, she guided him to where they would stay.

When she opened the door, Fitz could barely believe his eyes. Knowing the prices of the hotels in the area, he had expected her to book a small room in a motel. This was definitely not a small room. The room was in the shape of an L with the sleeping area on one side and a living room on the other. The living room had a huge French window that opened on a small terrace and had an incredible view of the beach. There was a fire place in front of the bed and the whole room was decorated in a cozy style that gave the room a home like feel.

He turned around and found Olivia watching him expectantly. "So what do you think?" She asked shyly.

"I think it's beautiful." He beamed at her. "I can't believe you did this without telling me…"

"I wanted to surprise you. So… There it is… Surprise!" She smiled nervously.

"It's wonderful, baby." He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you want to take a bath with me?"

"With bubbles?" He asked with a childlike smile.

"Yes, with bubbles." She chuckled.

"And wine?" He asked again.

"And wine." She confirmed. "Go get our bath ready, I'll unpack our bags and get the wine." He almost ran to the bathroom making Olivia laugh at his enthusiasm.

Twenty minutes later, they were happily soaking in a warm bath, surrounded by bubbles and candles, a glass of white wine in their hands. Olivia was sitting between Fitz' legs, her head resting on his shoulder. Fitz' hand was caressing Liv's shoulder and arm while hers was tracing patterns on his knee and thigh.

"So…" Fitz started after a few moments of silence. "You said you wanted to talk…" He trailed nervously.

Olivia had been dreading this moment. She knew it had to come at some point but she had wished it would come later. She sighed and decided it would be best for their weekend if she got it out of the way now rather than leave it hanging over their head. She turned in his arms and sat down facing him on the other side of the tub. Fitz frowned, not understanding why she needed to be so far away.

"There are two things we need to talk about. Well, rather I need to talk and I need you to listen." She started. He nodded at her and she continued. "I know you said you forgave me and that it was okay but I still feel I need to give you a real apology. I need to detail what I'm apologizing for and show you that I understand everything I did wrong so you can truly believe that it will never happen again."

"Okay." Fitz answered seriously.

Olivia took a deep breath and forced herself to look at him in the eyes despite how much she wanted to escape his unnerving grey eyes. "The first thing I need to apologize is the way I left. I didn't give you a chance to give your side of things. I didn't even give you a chance to understand what was wrong. If we get into an argument, I can't expect things to get better if you don't even have an idea of what is wrong. At the time, I thought you had done wrong and so I thought you would know what it was about. It didn't even cross my mind that you wouldn't know. So I'm sorry for running away from our conversation. I'm sorry for acting so immaturely.

That leads to apology number 2. I apologize for leaving. No matter how angry I was or how hurt I was, I should have never left our apartment. We are going to get married soon and I know I can't just run away when things get too tough. I'm sorry for running away from you.

I especially apologize for not telling you were I was going. I've been thinking what I would have felt if the roles were reversed and I realized I would have been sick worrying about where you were or if you were safe. I should have at least texted you or asked Huck to tell you I was safely with him. I'm sorry for causing you to worry like that.

There is something I said that I regret more than anything… I said I hated you… And I am so sorry for that. It wasn't true. Even in the heat of the moment, even when I thought the worst it was never true. I didn't hate you, I could never… I love you with all my heart. I don't know if I was trying to hurt you or to transform the pain into anger but it wasn't okay. It never will be okay. I'm sorry for saying this to you.

And finally, there's the biggest apology and I can't state how sorry I am. I am sorry for not trusting you. I am sorry for jumping to conclusions on evidence that was circumstantial at best. That's some poor lawyer work." She chuckled humorlessly. "You have never given me any hint that you would hurt me or betray me. We have been together for 8 years and the least I could have done was giving you the benefit of the doubt. Instead, I imagined the worst and hurt you. I am sorry for not trusting you, Fitz."

Fitz sat silently for a few seconds staring at her. He couldn't really say why but her apology took a considerable weight off his shoulders. Even though he had forgiven her, he really needed to hear that apology. He had forgiven her but he was still hurt by what she did and to hear her explain in detail how she understood what went wrong reassured him. It showed him that she realized how hurtful her actions were and it allowed him to truly forgive her not only with words but completely with his mind and heart.

He took her free hand in his and played with her ring. "Thank you." He said softly. "I really needed to hear that. And I do really forgive you. I was hurt and maybe I was pulling back slightly because of it but I know now that this won't happen again. I trust now that you won't let things escalate that way."

"I won't." She confirmed strongly.

"I know." He smiled softly. "Can you come back here now?" He asked, opening his arms.

Olivia wasted no time joining him. Instead of taking back her seat with her back to his chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck and lay down on her stomach between his legs. She turned slightly on her side to find a more comfortable position and settled down with her head on his shoulder, kissing his neck softly. Fitz had one hand around her shoulders and the other around her waist and kissed her hair tenderly.

"You're too nice to me…" She whispered against his neck as an afterthought.

"Maybe…" He smiled against her forehead. "But that's just the way I am. I'm perfect, there's nothing I can do about it." He joked.

"You really are." She said seriously raising up her head to look at him.

Fitz swallowed difficultly, his emotions choking him up. He looked down in Olivia's eyes and saw nothing but love, respect and admiration. This was the look he lived for. "You make me want to be perfect." He whispered before joining their lips in the softest of kisses.

They pulled away, both wearing the same dreamy smile and Olivia moved her head back to the crook of his neck, her hand playing with the outline of his shoulder and arm muscles.

"You weren't completely right, you know…" She said again.

"About?" He asked.

"I don't think I have low self-esteem, I just… I think it all comes down to my father. I know it sounds cliché and I know by now I should be over it but… The more I grow up, the more I realize how he has neglected me and it has had an impact on my life and my behavior. He wasn't there for me so I got used to no one being there for me and it's why it is so important for me to do things on my own.

I needed to prove to myself that I could excel at something on my own and if I could do it alone, if I didn't need anyone to succeed, then it would have proven I could be okay without my parents not being there for me and everything would be okay.

And when you came along, I discovered someone could be here for me. I discovered what it was to have someone's unconditional support and love. And it's not fair for me to make you pay for the damage my father caused but that's the best way I can explain my reaction.

I really love you for not holding it against me, for helping me figure it out without shaming me for it. Only you could make me feel so strong about my weaknesses.

If the 8 years we've been together taught me one thing it's that it's okay to be vulnerable sometimes and that relying on someone is not being weak. I trust you with everything in me and I know you never meant anything wrong when you talked about me to Jameson and you weren't trying to go behind my back and it's okay to have someone give a little help.

So thank you. Thank you for helping me despite my stubbornness, thank you for loving me despite my craziness, and thank you for being there for me despite my weakness."

"I wouldn't have you any other way." Fitz whispered, his forehead resting against hers, his eyes closed. "Stubborn, crazy, vulnerable… I love you for that and so much more." He confessed.

"I know. Which is why last week should never have happened."

"It's alright. I know it won't happen again. I know we'll fight again because, well… you're stubborn and crazy." He teased, making her laugh. "But I know we'll always be okay. Because we love each other."

"Take me to bed." She murmured against his ear. "I want to show you how crazy I can get."

Fitz stood up in a hurry and rushed them to the bed without taking the time to dry them off. Olivia laughed at his eagerness but her laughs turned into moans when he attacked her body with his wicked mouth.

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><p><strong>Hello All!<strong>

**I hadn't planned to write another chapter about their fight but based on some reviews, I felt I needed Olivia's POV to be explained more clearly and I needed her to make amends for how she reacted.**

**Some of you will recognize bits from your reviews in her speech and that's because I used them. I want to thank you for your feedback, it really helped me build this chapter.**

**Next chapter will be lighter, it will be focused on their weekend and their fun time together. Don't know how soon it will be though.**

**So what did you think? Of Olivia's plan to take care of Fitz for a weekend, of her apology, of her explanation? I'm eager to hear your thoughts.**

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.**

**Cheers,**

**C.**


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